Been Down So Long

So, after Jack recommended Farina's Been Down So Long it Looks Like Up to Me like three years ago, I finally got around to reading it (since Against the Day is too large to lug around from place to place and Been Down is nice and light), intending to read it only on occasion, and stretching it out, but the voice is so compelling! I finished it in only two days. Really helps solidfy my concept of that ever-so-special era of American novel-writing that exists immediately post-Beat. Anyway, you, if you haven't, should read it too. And also read Pynchon's V. and also Kesey's Sometimes a Great Notion.

Also, I finally just watched Dave Chappelle's Block Party on DVD, and that was pretty awesome too. Its interesting thats its directed by Michel Gondry, but, being a concert documentary more than anything else, his presence is generally rather subdued. But the snippets of the concert that you actually get to see are pretty great - Dead Prez being especially impressive to me. Inspiring movie overall though, just in terms of all these rich, famous people (artists) getting together rather informally and performing together all again like they used to when they were first coming up together in the scene in the first place.

Also inspiring was the movie We Jam Econo, a documentary about the band The Minutemen. It's sad because the guitar player, D. Boon died in an auto accident back in the 80s, ending the band, but it is inspiring to hear about their meteoric rise to critical aclaim as the USAs most talented, innovative punk bands.

Anyway, its a beautiful day in Portland, so I'm gonna go ride a bike.