Last Friday we saw Miranda July with David Byrne and Becky Stark at the New York Public Library.

picture from Flickr: Roboppy

Miranda July read some things from her short story book and told some real stories with fake audience participation. Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond sang three songs but none from the LD album. Then there was a break. Then David Byrne "interviewed" Miranda July, while showing many film clips and pictures. It was almost a more intellectual version of Chris Farley interviewing Paul McCartney.
Then Becky Stark played another song aided by David Byrne on guitar.

Here is a youtube Becky Stark performance that gives you an idea of how she was:

Library Thing for Libraries:
example: the addition to the NYPL catalog see left side
(vs. current look)

Here's an article about Ted Leo

Here's a five year old article about the Long Winters that is really long, but a pretty good backstory introduction to John Roderick and the band

The New Yorker on the new Feist album

I haven't looked at John Green's video blog in a while, but noticed this youtube selection showing JG and MT Anderson investigating abandoned buildings in Detroit.

Over a million dollars for the Iowa library cat's biography?!

Video from the Deerhoof ballet.

"Using free wireless internet outside library described as theft"

Expectations met or exceeded makes me happy.

The MTA arts thing I requested on Saturday arrived in the mail today.

I also downloaded that Deerhoof album...I like it.

Also, it makes me happy when I walk home from the subway in the evening and I see the young men sitting on the library steps with their laptops, no doubt using the wireless. (I know that maybe that is sort of sad, but anyway...)

The Toronto Star suggests some new tunes. As they pointed me to the new Summer Hymns track, I'll take a look at some of these artists.

There's a Hold Steady podcast.


The Washington City Paper compares new albums from Robyn Hitchcock and Lindsay Buckingham. ??!

the NY Times profiles rereleases of private label stuff, such as the Numero label's offerings

this Village Voice article about the creed-like guy from American Idol's post TV fate is the kind of thing that ends up in those Da Capo best music writing things. More for the "sad/pitiful" tone than for anything else...


In the Guardian:
"A recent poll in the New York Times named Toni Morrison's Beloved as the greatest work of American fiction in the past 25 years. But what about over here? On the eve of this year's Booker Prize, we asked 150 literary luminaries to vote for the best British, Irish or Commonwealth novel from 1980 to 2005. How they defined 'best' was up to them ..."
Here's another Daniel Handler interview.

Librarianship as a vocation. Movie file at the Internet Archive.

here are some links

Ears:
Here's your daily Berman: Harp Magazine
"I thought of 'Opposite George' from Seinfield, in doing almost everything differently almost as a method."

Mic'ing the Tap Shoes: Tilly and the Wall are blogging about recording their new album.

Some interesting new eMusic albums, including the Bobby Bare Sr one made with the Mark Lambchop Nevers and the Sun Kil Moon album of Modest Mouse covers.

Here's an article about the latest Spoon tour.

The WFMU Record Fair is this upcoming weekend.
Eyes:

Trillium Press has some interesting things to look at.

You can also check out Miranda July's jack-o-lantern.


Here is a big article about Baumbach and the Squid and the Whale.

So Flickr groups seem to be somewhat happening. Here is a Sub Pop group. I also like the TV on the Radio guy's photos. And Tiny Showcase has some Flickr happening too.

The New Yorker has a library-friendly cover.

Adventures of libraryman

libraryman's headshot
Originally uploaded by blucarbnpinwheel.

Now on my flickr page.

Liking the air conditioning

It has been warm. Today the afternoon was all clerical and not much fun. Then talked to some real estate types.

Summer reading is exciting, but I am waiting too long for this website to go live.

A review of that White Stripes album BostonHerald.com - the Edge: > Get Behind Me Satan.

Another interview with Spoon.

The Pixies are still on the road, getting paid.

Added to the charity bracelet market...Joe Strummer (r.i.p.) black band.

Where's the Librarian?

Where's the Librarian?
About Librarian image issues. I don't have any. I think children need to see adults wearing cardigans, so I am proud to serve this social purpose.

P.S. The Library Bar in NYC seems like a place this author has not visited. (Wait, she says she hasn't visited.) But anyway, I have been there and it's not cool.

what you want

Someone should be interested in this: The Mountain Goats recording of a Silver Jews song is going to be put out with the next Believer music issue. There is going to be a show to promote this; $12 gets you a free copy of the magazine and cd.

Hey! That beulah dvd actually has a release date (august). It's cheap if you order now ($12.50).

They moved the books from the University of Texas Library.

The NY Times Book Review issue on Children's Books for Spring 2005 is online.

I might go and check out this exhibit about Malcolm X.

An article about that cartoon band, Gorillaz. More interesting to read about than listen to.

On June 4th, there is supposed to be an "Open Air Book Fair" at the Housing Works Used Book Cafe. I don't think there is anything online about it yet, but it should be good. Advertised: 30% off the book store inventory (proceeds go to Housing Works), live music, free coffee.

Snicket Watch and some other links.

"The record plays like Lemony Snicket writing Remembrance of Things Past"
The Houston Chronicle isn't into the New eels double album.

HoustonChronicle.com - Blinking Lights and Other Revelations by Eels:

Here's an article about "rockers who read": including Mountain Goats, Decemberists, and Okkervil River.

Here's a Daily News article about Earlimart.

Another review of Palindromes: Solondz's eight troubling faces of Aviva - The Herald

Here's a NY Times article about movie adaptations of comic books, comparing the value of heros to the value of movie stars.

An article about the study of bobdylan, including novelist Johnathan Lethem.

The Onion AV Club goes through the liner notes of the Elvis Costello reissues.

village voice > music > Impeding the Stampede by James Hannaham
The village voice reviews Gimme Fiction and revisits Spoon's earlier stuff.

Sioux City Journal: The book on Dewey: He's one cool cat
An article about a celebrity cat and the public library in Spencer, Iowa.

Linky links

The NY Times reports about the secret treasures of many NYC libraries.

In sadder library news, who really needs to steal a self-checkout computer?

And a librarian wrote Dear Abby to "plead" for patron ettiquette.

Here's an interesting article from the Christian Science Monitor about the Nomadic Museum.

Here's another review of Palindromes. And another one: the Seattle Times hates it.

An article about Stars.

The Sufjan Stevens Illinois album is for real. I heard a track.

Hey, you can also listen to the new Spoon, at Merge Records.

If you read through the new Matador Records news, you can listen to new stuff by Laura Cantrell, as well as New Pornographers. And there's a free M. Ward show in July at Castle Clinton. excitement, excitement.

Intel infuriates librarians

Intel infuriates librarians

Choice quotes:
"Librarians hate space on shelves and tend to sharpen knives when it happens."

"There is nothing more terrifying than an incandescent librarian."

Happy National Library Week!

ALA

Save Salinas Libraries!

Save Salinas Libraries!

This is a followup to the NY Times posting.

Good Featured quote:
"Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries." - Anne Herbert

Whenever a library anywhere is closed, I feel sad

The New York Times > National > In Steinbeck's Birthplace, a Fight to Keep the Libraries Open

let me tell you

Sometimes people ask me what I learn in my library school classes. Tonight typified the more frustrating element of the program. We begin the class on website design by considering the physiological element of visual design. The Felt Axis. And modes of arranging the elements of design. Contrast vs. harmony. Episodicity vs repetition. Exaggeration vs. understatement. Singularity vs. juxtaposition. All this culminates in an activity involving Netscape composer? (Which doesn't seem to have been improved since say 1995?) But consider this: how much value does website design hold when the experts are responsible for this?

Also, today I got a really neat thank you note in the mail. Handmade things are great. The overall artistic effect was only enhanced by the reindeer stamp. Friends are good.

Not a bad workday despite the horrors that occur when a very important person's computer crashes. I enjoyed remembering my terrific stumble across the park on Friday night.

I find myself recommending things excessively. I think there was a Maureen Dowd column on how this is more a male thing to do. Oh well.

I hope everyone has fun.

a lot of pseudonyms

for edward gorey

cataloging is fun.

I appreciated this New Yorker cartoon

Related to my vocation