Wilco

Wilco might be my favorite band working today. Check out this performance from a recent Letterman show, wherein they play “You and I” from their latest (with Leslie Feist joining them on vocals). Great stuff.

Doomsday for our libraries?

You heard about Mayor Nutter’s city budget rally last week. This is serious stuff. The proposed state budget plan calls for a 50% cut in State Aid to Libraries. Such a cut will decimate Philly’s public library system — closing branch doors and putting 500 people out of work.

But you can do something about it. Write your state senator, representatives, and Governor Rendell, and tell them that our public libraries matter to you. It’s quick and easy to do. Click here to find a downloadable letter template and a bunch of email contacts.

The more of us who make our voices heard, the more they’ll flinch before pulling the trigger on this.

Eyes Wide Shut

My take on Stanley Kubrick’s final work, EYES WIDE SHUT, on the ten-year anniversary of its release. Check it out.

Ippolito_EWS_7-16-09

Literature Map

Only click on this if you’re willing to get lost in it for at least ten minutes: The Literature Map. I will say no more. Enjoy.

Like something from a Don DeLillo novel...

In this clip, UK comedian Tommy Cooper literally dies on stage. But the audience just laughs along, thinking it’s part of the bit. An oddly disturbing piece of video, though I’m not quite sure why.

King on Kubrick

This Thursday, July 16th, marks the ten-year anniversary of the release of Kubrick’s last film, Eyes Wide Shut. In honor of the event, here’s a blip of Stephen King sharing an anecdote about the enigmatic director:

Paul Siegell

Hometown poet Paul Siegell’s latest collection — jambandbootleg (read: “jam band bootleg”) — was just released. You can buy your copy here.

To give you a taste of his work, here’s an intriguing video/poetry short based on some verse from his first book, Poemergency Room: