The nagging suspicion that Kafka was just a weirdo
Dear DJ: Lately, I’ve been reading excruciatingly well-researched historical novels set between 1780 and 1820 written by early/mid-20th Century Englishmen: The Poldark novels by Winston Graham, and the Master and Commander series by Patrick O’Brian. ...
In the back room with the grande dame guardian of the Mysterious Galaxy
Eat. Sleep. Read. Local. For years these edicts have presented themselves in the form of a bold red-and-white poster gracing the entryway of Mysterious Galaxy, an independent bookshop specializing in science fiction, mystery, fantasy, and ...
San Diego poets, Henry Miller, John Steinbeck, Jeff Weinstein, John Brizzolara, Dave Zielinski, Rick DeMarinis, author memorabilia at UCSD
The Debris of What You Really Do When I was in high school, the Summer of Love hit, and grudgingly I became a hippie, tried to pull off laid-back when in my heart of hearts ...
You buy a book new, and you have a new baby
Name: JUSTINE EPSTEIN Age: 31 Occupation: OWNER, VERBATIM BOOKS Neighborhood: SHERMAN HEIGHTS Where interviewed:: VERBATIM BOOKS What are you reading? “Some Ross MacDonald short stories about the private eye Lew Archer. They’re kind of noirish. ...
Jim Thompson, Jack Kerouac, Alexander Theroux, Janet Flanner, Max Miller, Amy Gerstler, Ken Kuhlken, Tom Larson, Nathanael West, Emily Dickinson
God’s Country Remembered My wife and I are driving up El Cajon Boulevard. It hasn’t changed much, not really. Businesses come and go (there wasn’t anything remotely like the Hung Vuong Pho restaurant back then), ...
"I wrote it in honor of my son Dillon and our cat Cake."
“I work eight hours a week for a yoga studio, but the rest of my money is currently made playing music on the streets, in venues, and selling my first book,” says Martin Stamper, aka ...
Investing can be very overwhelming, so being able to simplify it is good.
Name: Taylor Whitworth Age: 25 Occupation: Entrepreneur Neighborhood: Mission Valley Interviewed at: Barnes & Noble, Hazard Center What are you reading? “Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing: What the Rich Invest In, That the Poor and ...
I read. And I know things.
As a sophomore at UC San Diego, I went home for the summer to get a cavity filled in at the dentist’s. I lay there, saliva ejector hanging out the side of my mouth like ...
Book ends
Amazon’s got everything, but some illusions must be kept alive.
Meltzer unmasks Cameron Crowe, Hunter Thompson plays self at SDSU, Susan Sontag not that nice, zoo not that nice to David Sedaris, Luis Urrea deals with fame, John Steinbeck IV's final days in SD
John Steinbeck Was My Father One of us, a doctor's son, mentioned that his father had urged him to follow in his footsteps. Was there pressure on John to become a writer? He shook his ...
Helen Paris loves a good series
Name: Helen Paris Age: 19 Occupation: Student Neighborhood: La Mesa Where interviewed: Barnes & Noble, Grossmont Center What have you read lately? Hush, Hush; it’s a series by Becca Fitzpatrick. The books are about fallen ...
Why it matters if the words go through your eyes as opposed to your ears
Dear Hipster: My friend and I have a longstanding dispute, and I’ve unilaterally decided to bring you into it (you’re welcome). It began years ago, when that book Born to Run came out. I remember ...
Former Saint Augustine and Padres hurler remembers when...
In the spring of 1970, former baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Carl Hubbell came to Patrick Henry High School for a baseball game between the home team and Saint Augustine’s High. As a representative from ...
Geoffrey Wolff, Thomas Lux, Russell Banks, chefs’ favorite books, and more
Abe Opincar (Fried Butter) Ruth Reichl, editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, invited me to talk with her about Fried Butter. I went to the Conde Nast building at 4 Times Square. I was ushered ...
Mark Halperin, V.S. Naipaul, Janet Malcolm, Alice McDermott, and more
JD McClatchy "And I think now in the last 10 or 20 years, there’s been a quite remarkable resurgence and readings and performances of high and low quality, from hip-hop or slams and whatnot, to ...
Various Authors 6:22 p.m., Sept. 24
Dorian Hargrove 11:30 a.m., Sept. 24
Ian Anderson 9:30 a.m., Sept. 24
8:30 a.m., Sept. 24
Don Bauder 7:15 p.m., Sept. 23
Delinda Lombardo 5:15 p.m., Sept. 23
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