Books And Other Stuff I Don't Want to Wait For Christmas to Get

Breath by Philip Levine

I still kick myself for missing out on his reading at Groiler's this past November. It'd be nice to get his new book next Monday with whatever Barnes and Noble gift cards I get and pick up right from The Mercy, which I'm finally getting around to finish. Though he still writes page-spanning verses, Levine seems to be slowly but surely getting more economical with his writing, almost hearkening back to his old style, but not quite. Just leafing through Breath shows more of the same. Not that he ever littered the page with unnecessary lines, but it's a good sign when a poet can still vary even if the same themes are presented over and over (in Levine's case, the working class of America, particularly the immigrant and first generation Americans descended from such workers). Just reading over half of The Mercy shows me that Levine is far from phoning his work in. "Reinventing America," "Once," "philosophy Lesson" and "'He Would Never Use One Word Where None Would Do'" are just a fraction of the poems in this tome that come close to replacing some the favorite poems by Levine I already have. Not "On the Meeting of Garcia Lorca and Hart Crane" though.

The Unsubscriber by Bill Knott

Nice to see my old poetry teacher and thesis head having work presented in books that actually show up in big and small stores. Knott and Tony Hoagland are ones I want to read back to back after the New Year.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Volume 3

I've been hooked ever since Lynne subjected me to a number of the last season. When I was in college, I would hear of students trying to write long term papers dissecting Ren and Stimpy. I can only guess that ATHF, for better or worse, is the new subject most students would rather pick. I've actually been knocking around ideas for an essay myself just on Master Shake, who should go down as one of the best characters in animation, if not television, period. The Adult Swim writers know what they can get away with by putting a scumbag personality and putting it in the form of a talking cup. If the character's base personality was written as a human for a regular TV sitcom or drama, he would immediately make that show unbearable to the average TV watcher who waits for the sappy ending, along with either the bad guy's redemption or comeuppance. Even The Simpsons have to have Mr. Burns show a heart now and again. With the Adult Swim crowd, they have a loyal audience with quirky tastes who can appreciate a character who, if he were any more selfish, unrepentant, and unrelenting against change and personal growth, would be as real as most roommates I've had.

Homestar Runner, Weebl and Bob and Mark Fiore DVD's

I want these so bad. Partly because I'm thinking up a Whats Up piece on independent animation on the web. Partly because I love their work so much.

People hunting for Christmas gifts take note, please.