Went back and read a little of "Kiel Akvo De L' Rivero", found it surprisingly easier going than the last time I attempted it, probably around 2003 or so.

Went to an art book fair up in long island city. Sadly it seemed more like artists doing book things than book people doing art things.

Finished rereading Calvino's Invisible Cities.

The first time I read it was a good while ago, probably 2003, give or take a year. Maybe it was denorae who recommended it to me? It was my first exposure to Calvino. Since that time I've read Baron in the Trees (loved it) Cosmicomics (couldn't finish it, didn't really grab me) and, of course, If on a Winter ( Read more... )

Dinner with K's parents at "Fish". Rereading "Invisible Cities" since I had an unexplained desire to do just that.

K had been reading "The Goldfinch" and some of the characters speak Polish and she noticed one said "Dziȩkujȩ" ("thank you") which is TOTALLY WRONG because the diacritics on the "e"s are supposed to be ogoneks and not cedillas. It seems odd how you'd even make that mistake. I know if I were writing a novel with a foreign-to-me language in it I ( Read more... )

Saw some Yoko Ono stuff down at the MoMa, also they had some really nice old type-y movie posters from the early 20th c. Went back and re-read some of "No one belongs here more than you", good times.

Finished "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket". Very nice to see such a clear evolutionary common ancestor of Mountains of Madness and Moby Dick. Also really goes to show how much fascination antarctica held in the popular imagination before it was completely explored.

Reading some of "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym" on nightspore's recommendation. Enjoying it so far. Definitely reminiscent of Moby Dick, which I am told it inspired to no small extent.

Been reading "At the Mountains of Madness" lately. Already had read "The Color out of Space", "Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath", "The Other Gods" at various times, but this is good solid canonical Lovecraft. It's hitting me how much it isn't about rattling off Ancient Betentacled Horror #1, and Eldritch Gaping Maw #2, and so on --- which is kind of ( Read more... )

Due to triumphant teamwork between me and K, the (it turns out) 8kbtu/h air conditioner got installed without killing anybody on the sidewalk below. We got some bricks from Loew's to prop up the fat end in a manner which, glancing around the neighborhood, appears to be thoroughly customary. Did you know that bricks are only like 50c each? I did not ( Read more... )