November 29, 2014
November 21, 2014
November 20, 2014
Gayle
Here.
She's going to be appearing at the King Dork Approximately event thing in NYC on December 9.
The New Narcissism: it's NOT OKAY
So just the other day I wound up on the front page of the Tribune and all those other east bay papers courtesy of Jim "the critic" Harrington. Very much appreciate the coverage, so thanks Jim. Several folks have pointed out that a chief point of interest is the photos' glimpse into my crumbling hovel. I still have "the hand" (from the Revenge is Sweet cover pic); and the image behind me is not (as Patrick wrote in to ask, plausibly) a piece of Robyn Hitchcock art, but rather a tapestry depicting Krishna, Radharani, and Balarama.
Other links:
-- Four start to King Dork from book blogger and aspiring ballerina Aubrey Joy.
-- I am interviewed in The Runout.
-- I am a guest on the Matt and Jonah Make a Scene podcast. The episode in question, currently at the top of queue, is called "Lightning in a Bottle."
-- Claire liked King Dork.
-- That time I blew out the sound system at an NCIBA trade show with an acoustic guitar and some mild witticisms.
-- Steven Bickmore and Kate Youngblood examine Holden Caulfield's successors in contemporary YA literature in a journal called English in Education. That's definitely the fanciest thing I've ever been in, unless you count a couple of cowboy shirts.
Program Notes
Hey, did I mention I'm gonna be on the Chris Gethard Show on Dec. 10? Well, I am.
This is still the current show list.
Pre-order the book!
November 16, 2014
Dystopia
Conor Friedersdorf on the recent, precipitous erosion of British liberty.
Our government routinely ignores our constitution too, but at least we've got a written basis on which to complain when it does, which seems somehow better though practically speaking, considering how much damage has been done, it's perhaps a distinction without a huge difference. Terrifying from both sides.
Leah
Leah single-handedly started the tradition of the King Dork reader photo way back in 2006 by sending this picture. I posted it and people followed suit and began sending in their own portraits of themselves pretending to read the book and it became "a thing." (She also did this one.) Cheers, Leah!
November 13, 2014
November 10, 2014
November 09, 2014
Counting Down from One
So we're now one month away from the release of the stuff (new book plus a bit of music.) It seemed like it was taking forever, and now all of sudden it's happening imminently, too soon to do like 80 per cent of the things I'd imagined trying to do for it. In one way, that's NOT OKAY. But in another way 20 per cent isn't bad. Make the most of that 20 per cent and be glad it's not 19 per cent is my philosophy on the matter.
Book.
Show.
Another show.
Another show.
More shows.
A bit of press, maybe. Song. Clothing. (Details to come on those last three.)
Actually looking at it all, I might not have survived much more than 20 per cent anyway. And so will I live to fall 80 per cent short yet another day. That's success, sort of.
November 07, 2014
Graffiti on masking tape shows a lack of commitment perhaps...
...but I appreciate the sentiment nonetheless.
November 06, 2014
Show Business is Still My So-Called Life
So as you can see -- and you can click on the banner for a larger version of the flier -- the book release show at 1-2-3-4 Go Records on Sunday December 7 is shaping up to be quite a wild "happening." (At least I hope it'll be at least a bit wild.) There may be a further late-breaking addition or two, but this is the essential line-up. We're going to do it variety show style, with Chris Appelgren as our Ed Sullivan, introducing short "acts" by each of the performers. Basically we are going to pretend it's TV. At the end, I'll play a set. If this sounds like a good time to you, you should probably come. There will be books available in advance of the release date of December 9, allowing you to feel cutting-edge and special for two whole days.
New York on 12/9 also has a pretty crazy line-up, all great interesting people. It's also variety show style, with Beth Lisick as Ed Sullivan, and as with the Oakland show, it will probably be more fun for everyone if we all pretend we're on TV during it.
So here's an updated list, thru December:
Tuesday, December 2nd
KALX, 90.7 FM, 9PM-Midnight.I'm going to be crashing Kendra's show and hyping my book and the local release show, as well as playing KDA related records and previewing the theme song. Should be a good time.
Sunday, December 7th
1-2-3-4 Go! Records, 420 40th St., #5, Oakland, CA, 94609. 7 PM.Chris Appelgren (host), with Dr. Frank, Chuck Prophet, Bye Bye Blackbirds, Victor Krummenacher, John Denery w/Virgil & Judy, Bucky Sinister, the Devil-Ettes, Jack Boulware, Karen Finlay, Paige O'Donoghue, Dina Graves (on trombone and with cookies.) Facebook event page here.
Tuesday, December 9th
Housing Works, 126 Crosby Street, New York, NY 10012. 7PMAn Evening with King Dork Approximately, hosted by Beth Lisick, featuring Chris Gethard, Emily Gould, Jami Attenberg, Liz Prince, Mikey Erg, Gayle Forman, Maeve Higgins, Joel Reader, Zachary Lipez. Facebook event page here.
Wednesday, December 10th
The Chris Gethard Show! 11PM
Friday, December 12th
Book release launch event party thing presented by The Secret Garden Bookshop, location and time TBA but it'll either be at the store (2214 NW Market Street, Seattle WA 98107) or at a space nearby, in the evening. Line-up TBA.
Saturday, December 13th
Barnes & Noble Downtown, 600 Pine St., Suite 107, Seattle WA 98101. 3 PM. This will be a bookstore appearance/signing, and I'll be playing songs too most likely.
And then, later that night...
The Kraken Bar and Lounge, 5257 University Way NE, Seattle WA, 9PM.Dr. Frank and the Teenage Brainwashers (featuring members of Dead Bars, Stab Me Kill Me, and Shadow Cats), Bottlenose Coffins, The Pinellas. Flier here. Facebook event page here.
Monday, December 15
Book Passage, Ferry Building, San Francisco. Details TBA.
Wednesday, December 17
Serramonte Library, 40 Wembley Drive, Daly City. 7 PM
Saturday, December 20
Nostalgia Fest 2014, solo acoustic show, with Schlong, the Skirt Boys, Slow Gherkin, the Librarians, the What Nots, Chomp Hard, Escape Engine/Fight Like Fight.
Finally, pre-order King Dork Approximately!
Rick
When I re-posted that photo of Mick Jones reading King Dork last week, it became clear that a whole lot of folks had missed it the first time around, so I'm taking this opportunity also to repost what I still think was probably King Dork's finest hour:
(And since spelling it out seemed to help last time, in case anyone is confused, that is the actual Rick Nielsen of the actual Cheap Trick.)
November 05, 2014
The War on Pocket Knives
New York City Arrests, Prosecutes, Eventually Settles with Legal Knife Owner
If NYC law is as described it's insane, but even worse, obviously, is that fact that even these abstruse, irrational criteria seem to be ignored when it comes to routine street harassment. They appear to have knowingly and deliberately arrested and prosecuted an innocent man as well, colluding with his own Legal Aid lawyer to coerce a forced guilty plea known to be false, which is the thing there really should be a law against.
(via Instapundit.)
November 04, 2014
November 03, 2014
It IS You
So that new Buzzcocks song is deceptively catchy in a way that many of Pete Shelley's songs have been for me. There are those that just knock you over the head on first listen, of course, but there are also those that sneak up on you. "Are Everything" is probably the best example of the latter case, where when I first heard it I was admiring but kind of indifferent, only to find that it got into my head somehow over time and I realized I was humming it and thinking about it constantly. "It's Not You" turned out to be one of those for me, too, and after an initial period of "background processing" I'd now say it's as good as anything they've ever done, which, among other things, gives me hope.
November 01, 2014
Massive show update coming soon...
...so watch this space if massive show updates are the kind of thing you really like to see.
