Attack!

My interview with Heidi Julavits is up now at The Awl.

(I really loved her new novel The Vanishers; those who know me well and have read it will see what I mean when I say it is sort of the perfect Davidsonian novel, one that I wish I had written myself!)

Bonus link: Christopher Bollen's much fuller and more literary interview with Heidi, which I waited to read until I had composed my own questions....

Friday musings

This would make a good premise for an urban fantasy novel!

My Bookforum piece about the risks and rewards of saying that literature has something to tell us about life...

I had a rather good evening at the theater last night: G. and I saw Spider-Man! It was considerably better than I expected; the first half is a bore (why, oh why do they feel the need to include the de rigueur school bullying scene?!?), but the second half really picked up focus, and some of the sets and stage effects are really lovely, particularly the perspectival shifts that see you suddenly looking down from the top of the Chrysler building. It seemed to be warmly received by those in the house - I would think it has the potential to stick. (The music is truly mediocre.)

Chipping away at BOMH revisions, but laboring under a painful lung ailment (I've been sick for almost two weeks now) that is making me very seriously worried about whether I'll be able to race next weekend. Doctor's appointment Monday late afternoon will be an initial stage of decision-making. I was sucking on the cough drops at last night's show, and desperately coughing up junk whenever there was a loud part to cover the sound....