Jonathan Franzen’s 2011 Kenyon commencement speech, published this weekend in the New York Times, covers love, consumerism, and narcissism in the digital age. If you’re concerned with critical reception, looks like you’re not a creator of “serious art and literature,” in Franzen’s eyes.
Digital Love
AbeBooks’ Most Expensive
Online used book marketplace AbeBooks rounded up the most expensive books sold via its site in October. At the top is a collection of Scottish music from 1782 that went for $8,500. Also on the list are some collectible Tolkien and Hemingway. (Thanks, Laurie)
One comment:
Add Your Comment: Cancel reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
The Collector of Baskervilles
If there's anyone more obsessive than Sherlock Holmes, it's Glen Miranker. The former Apple executive owns the largest private collection of Sherlock Holmes works, totaling 4,500 items including books, manuscripts, illustrations, and other oddities. How he amassed such a collection isn't a mystery — he's been at it since the 1970s.
A Frothy, Heady BFFship
"It seems that not only do Americans see beer as a person, they see beer as a person other people like better than them."
●
●
Fake AP Style
A Twitter jokester is compiling a fake AP Stylebook. Example entry: "Instead of prepositions, it's preferable to end sentences with propositions, so why don't we start a dry cleaning business?" (via)
Chasing Candy
Roman Coppola and Wes Anderson teamed up on a series of short films to advertise Prada’s newest perfume Candy L’Eau. Click for the Andersonian single-camera sweep shots; stay for the intriguing French love triangle.
●
●
Great essay! Thanks for the link!