Speaking of unbearable, "Chronic City" was a huge chore to read. Hard to believe nobody said, "John, could you maybe tart this up a little bit? Put in some likable characters, throw in a plot twist or two?" #jonathanlethem
This is historic, all right. Once the formerly great Hemingway allowed one intrepid reporter, Lillian Ross, into the domain of Him and Mary to observe them for two days. She did, for a portrait that ran in New Yorker in the spring of 1950. Papa and Mary read it, saw as how it was all right, and passed on it. Pals of the Hemingways thought it was a hit job, and said so, and the Hemingways joined in at the tail end of that march.
See, the doddering old man who had to be reminded to take his glasses to be fixed, who uttered teeth-itching pedestrian comments, was simply not the wise and witty Literary Lion of Libya of his own self-portrait.
I remember a sampling. He and Mary in a bar referred to a 'sea heel.' Lillian wondered what that meant. "The sea's bigger than the land," answered Mary. Oh, said Lillian. Ouch, said us. #jonathanlethem
@Tremonius: HA! I totally love that classic Lillian Ross profile of Papa Hem.My favorite part is the Marlene Dietrich cameo appearance--she shows up drunk at Hemingway's hotel, eats some caviar and chugs some Champagne, affectionately brawls with the celebrated author, who affectionately calls her "the Kraut." Then they swap WWII stories.
@snugbug: Lillian Ross actually defined film for me in her Picture about the making of Red Badge of Courage. The great auteur and his crew were so very pleased with their artistic integrity and creativity and such until the first sneak preview in which their stellar work was knocked flat in ratings cards by knobby-kneed schulbs from Bayonne. The artistes descended into backbiting, then, with arty parts praised before now dumped on by backstabbers as the cause of the catastrophe. A somewhat adulterated version was released to tepid reviews. #jonathanlethem
Y'know Hemingway's cats descendants are still roaming around his home in Key West. Makes you wonder what kind of wildlife will survive Lethem. [www.hemingwayhome.com]#jonathanlethem
@BookishLookish: Her quote about her living quarters was, "All I need is room enough to lay a hat and a few friends."
However, at one point she shared an office with Benchley and described it as, " He and I had an office so tiny that an inch smaller and it would have been adultery."
Now I need to add that Mitrice Richardson is still missing. She was picked up by the Sheriff's Department and taken to a substation near Malibu for failing to pay a check in a restaurant, acting under the influence and just generally not in good shape. She was alone. She called her family from the Sheriff's station to say she was there and her Mom said she'd pick her up in the morning. They couldn't hold her and released her, but offered to let her stay at the station until her mother came in the morning. She left anyway and hasn't been seen for sure since then. You can imagine how her family feels at this point.
We need to help one another in this life rather than say we can't be bothered. So what if our friend is drunk or crazy? No one else is going to help them if we don't.
I find this general trend of banning and firing people who say unpopular things somewhat disturbing. It's good to disagree and inform people why the advice was bad, but to immediately demand people's jobs because they are wrong is too reactionary for me.
teenypanini09 good post with corrections and information that is genuinely helpful. Thank you.
Ladies (and gentlemen), let's remember that we owe our friends our help and protection especially if they start acting bizarre in public. #advice
i'm not signing any petition, but the advice the columnist gave was wrong. and you've written an inaccurate description of the story. the girl didn't just randomly call her friends after she was roofied. the two girls went to the concert with her and then left while she was in the bathroom.
also, not every girl has a good supportive family or a boyfriend. the girl said these two women have been her best friends and have known each other for 10 years. if you can't count on your best friend to help you when you are roofied, who can you trust?
and i've had a friend call me in the middle of the night because of food poisoning and she was all alone and needed help. and yes, i went over to help her. i did it because that's what you do for friends. #advice
The real issue here is that these are terrible topics for a women's Online Internet Blogg. This Lucinda lady needs to cut back on the fancy-schmancy and focus on the essentials. Here are some sample topics. Toilets: Do Women Even Need Them?, Bukkake Tutorial, Fetching Beers: Yes It Totes Helps You Lose Pounds!, Sandwich-making and Mawwage: A Dweam Wivin A Dweam.
ETA: Cary Tennis should write the Bukkake Tutorial.
I wasn't roofied but I was Patron'd at a lounge with a girlfriend a few years ago. She met I guy and while they exchanged numbers I waited outside and smoked a cigarette. Next thing I know I'm in a cop car in front of my father's house. I was drunk & bewildered so I called my friend to see what happened to me. Turns out she thought I met a guy and went home with him. She also informed me the owner of the lounge found my purse and gave it to her. It was days before I realized she didn't call the police to look for me and went home with my purse and fell asleep. I strongly suspect that if I died that night she would have gladly inherited my gucci purse and kept it a secret.
Her justification? I'm not responsible for you.
Since this was the SAME weekend Immette St. Gullian was murdered by that psycho samuarai bouncer and her friends went nuts with concern looking for her, I am no longer friends with the person who supposedly believed I was so hot in the pants that I would run off with a guy sans wallet, house keys & id.
Some people are just selfish. Apparently Lucinda is one of those people. I wouldn't try to get her fired but I wouldn't be her friend either! #advice
@jenifa0jenny: No, the difference between your situation and the situation described in the advice column is that this girl's friends weren't out with her that night. They were just people she called afterward. Your "friend" should rightly be derided for abandoning you when you disappeared. #advice
@Pesti-Esti: In retrospect, having read the actual column instead of Hamilton's description, these women are horrible. Going to a club is like being in the army: no one gets left behind. #advice
@Pesti-Esti: If I can figure out a way to misspell this in Arabic, I am getting a gawdy tattoo of this on my inner arm. Advice to live and die by. #advice
Somebody was roofied and the columnist blamed the victim by suggesting she took drugs herself even though there was no basis for it. She gave dangerous advice. It is dangerous because there are people (men and women) who blame themselves when they get roofied and then either robbed or raped. They blame themselves for drinking too much, or not being vigilant enough, or not being strong enough. I see nothing wrong with calling to fire an advice columnist who gives dangerous advice. It is then up to the website to make the final decision.
Really? You get a call from a friend who's in the ER, freaked and having been picked up from a pavement by the cops, and your reaction's "shit out of luck, sister"?
I'm not signing any petitions, but still think brushing off a friend who's been drugged and can't remember a huge chunk of her evening is horrible. Never crossed my mind that the roofie-ing would be her own fault, either. Damn, Hamilton. #advice
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See, the doddering old man who had to be reminded to take his glasses to be fixed, who uttered teeth-itching pedestrian comments, was simply not the wise and witty Literary Lion of Libya of his own self-portrait.
I remember a sampling. He and Mary in a bar referred to a 'sea heel.' Lillian wondered what that meant. "The sea's bigger than the land," answered Mary. Oh, said Lillian. Ouch, said us. #jonathanlethem
11/02/09
Good-effin' times! #jonathanlethem
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[www.hemingwayhome.com] #jonathanlethem
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However, at one point she shared an office with Benchley and described it as, " He and I had an office so tiny that an inch smaller and it would have been adultery."
10/19/09
We need to help one another in this life rather than say we can't be bothered. So what if our friend is drunk or crazy? No one else is going to help them if we don't.
[today.msnbc.msn.com] #advice
10/19/09
teenypanini09 good post with corrections and information that is genuinely helpful. Thank you.
Ladies (and gentlemen), let's remember that we owe our friends our help and protection especially if they start acting bizarre in public. #advice
10/17/09
also, not every girl has a good supportive family or a boyfriend. the girl said these two women have been her best friends and have known each other for 10 years. if you can't count on your best friend to help you when you are roofied, who can you trust?
and i've had a friend call me in the middle of the night because of food poisoning and she was all alone and needed help. and yes, i went over to help her. i did it because that's what you do for friends. #advice
10/16/09
ETA: Cary Tennis should write the Bukkake Tutorial.
10/16/09
Her justification? I'm not responsible for you.
Since this was the SAME weekend Immette St. Gullian was murdered by that psycho samuarai bouncer and her friends went nuts with concern looking for her, I am no longer friends with the person who supposedly believed I was so hot in the pants that I would run off with a guy sans wallet, house keys & id.
Some people are just selfish. Apparently Lucinda is one of those people. I wouldn't try to get her fired but I wouldn't be her friend either! #advice
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Or at least, removed from the internet. My internet!
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I'm not signing any petitions, but still think brushing off a friend who's been drugged and can't remember a huge chunk of her evening is horrible. Never crossed my mind that the roofie-ing would be her own fault, either. Damn, Hamilton. #advice
10/16/09
10/16/09