PLANS I MAKE

substitute: I think for April Fool's Day I will go amok in a killing spree in the mall with an axe. But the axe will be foam rubber and harmless! Everyone will have a good laugh.
djfntstque: wait
djfntstque: Which mall? I've got some photo assignments coming up
substitute: I was thinking South Coast Plaza
djfntstque: Ok cool

Chabon on MFA programs and being a little shit

This is interesting. Michael Chabon was a student of my father's in the UCI MFA program more than 20 years ago. He's been a family friend since, and I also admire his writing.

In his website column this week he writes about the value of the program. He's given props to my dad before by name, many times, which was gratifying. This is more interesting. He talks about the phenomenon of being "a little shit" as he says he was, or more particularly a talented by self-absorbed young privileged man, and then being dumped into a group of peers who were talented and also different: older, more experienced, more mature, and more than half of them female.

Food for thought, especially on the topic of male literary misogyny. Oh, and I see it was published in Details, the magazine of little shits everywhere.

Stuart Saves Rock 'n' Roll

changeng has been a hero to me for some time, because he does music exactly how he wants and is a superstar. Also because he can do the weirdest versions of songs with the funniest and most unlikely instrumentation and do them really well, not just the tacked-together way a novelty artist would.

Monkey, toy piano, xylophone, slinky, whatever it takes, Stuart will use it.

So anyway he's saving rock 'n' roll, and I urge you to read this account of his gig at the Lords of Chaos tour. This is a NuMetal/pop punk tour for The Kids These Days: Atreyu, Deftones, Thrice, Story of the Year. Not what you'd recommend for a guy who plays "When Doves Cry" on a hurdy-gurdy. But this is Stuart and he's magic.

Looks like he wins! Damn. Maybe there's hope after all.

D's tonight: Stuart

changeng is playing tonight and I plan to be there. Hope to see some of you too.