This Week’s Reading, 20.5.12
This week: Marcel Proust playing air guitar, Harvey Pekar, Patti Smith’s poetry, and a defence of Nikola Tesla.
- Leader image: Das Fest des großen Wurmes.
- Iain Sinclair meets Gary Snyder. Mr Sinclair’s bookshelf, by the way, features a certain fantasy epic we recognise …
- New Chomu title revealed, four months in the making – “the literary and psychic equivalent of a tour around the edges of a dying galaxy in a spectacularly malfunctioning space vehicle.”
- Patti Smith reading her ‘Woolgathering’ poetry.
- Village Voice, iconic Paris-based English language bookshop, to close in July.
- Some fantastic Moby Dick illustrations.
- RIP, Carlos Fuentes.
- Plath’s poetry: “Can poetry be bad for you? Yes, but in a good way”.
- The Oatmeal on the greatest geek, Tesla.
- Susan Sontag in a bear costume! Marcel Proust playing tennis racquet guitar! And (from the comments) Bohumil Hrabal on a giant wooden chair! (Thanks, Danielle)
- A stack of new video readings from Jéanpaul Ferro’s Jazz, courtesy of Honest’s YouTube channel. While we’re on the subject, make sure you’re subscribed to Willie Smith – a more entertaining reader you’ll struggle to find.
- The incredible story of Marie Curie and Marcel Duchamp.
- Harvey Pekar’s final interview:
Tags: bohumil hrabal, bookshops, carlos fuentes, chomu, chomu press, gary snyder, Harvey Pekar, iain sinclair, marcel duchamp, marcel proust, marie curie, moby dick, nikola tesla, patti sith, patti smith poetry, susan sontag, sylvia plath, tesla, this week's reading, village voice
