american music - by annie leibovitz

pete seeger's weapon of choice

check out this incredible collection of celebrated photographer annie leibovitz's work.

index from andrew smith gallery show in 2004

buy the american music book at amazon

tv on the radio

tv on the radio is an exciting emerging influence out of brooklyn. check 'em out.

band's website

interesting tvotr interview with arthur mag

"kockroach" by tyler knox

tyler knox's novel about a cockroach evolving and molting into a human offers a reminder to us, through the art of storytelling, about what makes us distinctly human; the art of storytelling. the split narration bounces back and forth between the colorful, jazz-fueled vernacular of a small time new york city hustler that goes by the name "mite", and the relentless, almost scientific detailing of an omniscient voice. it's mite's storytelling, that makes us aware that somewhere between reality, and science, and art, and religion, there is story - where colorful characters are allowed to succeed and fail (but mostly fail), and sensation is given power to teach.

the story begins in mid-50's new york city, and follows the engaging transmutation of the title character. the "ribbons of possibility" open up before us early, and the promise of a stellar pay-off dangles before us, but the conclusions, much like life itself, are less than revolutionary. the characters are rich and the world they inhabit is vibrant, but the insights fall flat and trite. that is not to say however that the book does not warrent your attention. the journey is well worth the ride, even if the destination is not inspired.

excellent website to introduce the novel to you

babel - directed by alejandro gonzález iñárritu

much like he did in his previous film 21 grams, gonzález iñárritu demonstrates in his latest film "babel" that the way a story is told, is every bit as important as the story itself. the mexican director employs the use of a non-linear narrative to tell a complex story with a global scope, all the meanwhile, never loosing sight of the subtle arcs in the seemingly disperate lives of the characters. there is a challenge to the audience of "babel" to engage with the plot, because of the story's indifference to space and time. there is no implicit chronology of events, and the geography, in a story that takes place in mexico, tokyo, morocco, and san diego, is disarticulate.
not to be lost in the conversation regarding the deft storytelling, is the story itself. "babel" is an unnerving exploration of how events that occur on the other side of the planet, can have an immediate impact on our own lives. without being overly didactic or proselytizing, the film challenges the bifurcation of two of our culture's most heated issues: foreign policy, and the raising of our children.