Sometimes, it’s easier to read or watch something that’s light and airy, as opposed to seeking out art that challenges your perspective. Millions contributor Fiona Maazel generally thinks of herself as a person who instinctively chose nuance over breeziness. But lately, she’s had to ask herself a tough question — is she actually more attracted to the anodyne?
Light Fare
Righteous Anger
You’ve probably heard the sad news that Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman passed away on May 2nd. In memory of Hanneman's work with the band, Greg Pollock wrote a paean to God Hates Us All, “the most important album in [his] life.”
It & Co.
For The Brooklyn Rail, John Ashbery answers some questions about writing in French, crushes on boys, and the presence of “it.” As he puts it, “I’m sort of notorious for my use of the pronoun 'it' without explaining what it means, which somehow never seemed a problem to me.”
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The Billionaire Speaks
“It’s true that when the world did not end when I predicted it would, at the end of last year, in my Netflix special Ragnarok, I realized a number of things, one of which was that I had not made a lot of professional or creative plans on the contingency that the world would continue. I just figured that it would end." Greg Hunter talks with John Hodgman at The Rumpus.
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The Writer’s Bedroom
We recently ran a piece called "Where We Write," in which our staff writers posted photographs of their work spaces. Apartment Therapy has taken it a step further and revealed where some famous and not-so-well-known writers slept. Turns out a bedroom, like a work space, speaks volumes about a writer. But one question remains: What the hell is Patti Smith doing on William S. Burroughs's bed?
Tree of Desire
At Granta, revisit an essay from Seamus Heaney on trees and desire in literature. Pair with Trent Morris’s reflections after the poet’s passing.
Avatar in Russia
James Cameron just can't win with the Reds. Not just the Chinese communists, but the Russians, as well, have taken issue with Avatar's politics.
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