March of the Mammoths is BACK! Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-02-04 | March of the Mammoths is a month-long readathon here on Booktube during which readers spend the month of March reading books that are a minimum of 800 pages long. I conceived of it in autumn 2018, started it in March 2019, and since the beginning have been co-hosting it with my friends Lukas @acruelreadersthesis5868 and Alex @bigalbooksforever. You'll find links to their announcement videos below:Lukas: youtube.com/watch?v=zYrxR52AUuQAlex: youtube.com/watch?v=1pfKTIfuZBYImages of mammoths used in this video are free for use in the public domain, the illustration (housed in the British Library) was found at Picryl, while the photograph of the skeleton was found at Pixabay.Music is the opening of "Blizzard (PON I)" by Kai Engel, which is licensed under Creative Commons and can be found at Free Music Archive here:freemusicarchive.org/search/?adv=1&quicksearch=kai%20engel&page=3Mammoth and storm sound effects created by Donny Rood.Thank you to my friend Dan Hauck for assisting me -- masked up and socially distant -- in getting the footage of the mammoth itself.#marchingmammoths2021
How Loaded Can One Word Be? Such and The Tempest Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2024-09-29 | In which I share my experience of the evening during which I finished my latest reading of The Tempest.Plays and books mentioned or discussed herein:The Tempest by William ShakespeareReading Genesis by Marilynne RobinsonFilms mentioned or discussed herein:Will & Harper (dir: Josh Greenbaum)Oscar and Lucinda (dir: Gillian Armstrong)#shaketember #shaketember2025 #shaketube
Varieties of Villainy in Titus Andronicus Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2024-09-09 | In which I discuss a few thoughts I have on Shakespeare's most violent play.#shaketember #shaketube #shaketember2024If you're so inclined please check out this weekend's videos from my co-hosts, Kelly (discussing James Shapiro's keyhole biography of Shakespeare, The Year of Lear) and Nicole (discussing Cymbeline):youtube.com/watch?v=Ol_PkMHAk0Myoutube.com/watch?v=R6FbTKjnmj0
Ridin the Storm Out: Shaketember 2024 Announcement Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2024-08-04 | It's that time again: September is, was and always will be made for Shakespeare. Shaketember is Booktube's month-long celebration of the writer who gave us "To be or not to be..." and the phrases "brave new world" and "something wicked this way comes." Choose texts by or about William Shakespeare to read during September and join Kelly and Nicole and myself on our journeys. And for additional Shakespeare-related content from the past, have a look at my friend Lukas's channel @acruelreadersthesis5868 Kelly's announcement video: youtube.com/watch?v=TeVhBpYUQhUNicole's announcement video: youtube.com/watch?v=GO8Xmyn5JxA#shaketember
A Book So Special, I Had to Make a Friday Reads to Share It Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2024-03-09 | Turns out I have a playlist for Friday Reads videos, so maybe this isn't my first one after all!Books and plays discussed herein:- The World Only Spins Forward: The Ascent of Angels in America by Isaac Butler and Dan Kois- Angels in America: Millennium Approaches by Tony Kushner- Angels in America: Perestroika by Tony Kushner- Possession by A.S. ByattFilms mentioned or discussed herein:- Angels in America (dir: Mike Nichols)- Possession (dir: Neil LaBute)I owe my possession of the oral history to @saintdonoghue Here is a link to the trailer for the Angels in America mini-series, currently streaming on Max:youtube.com/watch?v=W4bsQ6nsEZ8
March of the Mammoths RETURNS! Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2024-02-11 | If you're so inclined, please consider participating in the readathon with arguably the biggest return on your time investment: March of the Mammoths. It works like this: choose a book of 800+ pages that has been hanging over your head for some time and dedicate your reading hours in the month of March to tackling it at long last. And if you make videos for the event, use one or all of the following hashtags, so I might find and collect your videos in the ongoing March of the Mammoths playlist: #marchofthemammoths #marchingmammoths #marchofthemammoths2024Let me know below what you plan to read for the event.Apologies to my longtime co-host Alex from @bigalbooks for not getting in touch with her about hosting. It all rather snuck up on me this year, so I thought I'd just handle it myself. (But if you'd like to co-host, Alex, feel absolutely free to jump in. It wouldn't be the same without you.)
The Syllables of Seduction in Richard III’s Opening Monologue Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2023-09-17 | In which I do a touch of opening monologue analysis, but mainly just point out what Shakespeare does with alliteration, assonance and consonance in service of Richard attempting to seduce us as an audience. My co-hosts of Shaketember 2023 are Kelly @booksimnotreading and Nicole @adayofsmallthings.Kelly's video on Richard III: youtube.com/watch?v=1QMK_-qYiXkNicole's video on Richard III: youtube.com/watch?v=7zF6lnplP_8#shaketember #shaketember2023
The Nature of Love in Shakespeare’s Dark Comedy, Romeo and Juliet Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2023-09-10 | The Romeo and Juliet videos of my 2023 #Shaketember co-hosts Kelly from @booksimnotreading and Nicole from @adayofsmallthings:youtube.com/watch?v=J-x5akcI4Twyoutube.com/watch?v=cgNdaGfpDsY#shaketember2023 #shaketube
The Shakespeare Journey Tag (original) Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2023-09-03 | This tag was co-created by myself, Kelly @booksimnotreading and Nicole @adayofsmallthings 1. What was your first experience reading Shakespeare and what was it like?2. Has the *reading* of a Shakespeare play ever brought you to tears? What scene was it and where were you when it happened?3. Are there any people that have played a significant role in your Shakespeare journey?4. Do you have a favorite book or film *about* Shakespeare?5. Which character in Shakespeare most resembles you and in what ways?6. Which play would you most like to see performed in a theater and why?7. What actor, throughout history, would you most like to have seen play Hamlet while in his prime?8. Deliver your favorite speech or soliloquy from a Shakespeare play.9. Do any of Shakespeare's plays intimidate you? If yes, what play and why?10. What tips would you give to intimidated readers coming to Shakespeare for the first time?11. Which is your favorite Shakespeare play and why?12. Tag other Booktubers.I tag:Lukas @acruelreadersthesis5868 Ros @scallydandlingaboutthebook2711 Shelby @ShelbyLovesShakespeare Andrew B @codex3048 Books or plays discussed in this video:- Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt- Titus Andronicus by WS- Twelfth Night by WS- A Midsummer Night's Dream by WS- Hamlet by WS- The Tempest by WS#shaketember #shaketember2023
Shaketember 2023 Announcement Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2023-08-06 | It's that time again! Please join Kelly (@booksimnotreading), Nicole (@adayofsmallthings) and me this September as we rejoice in the work of the greatest writer in the English language: William Shakespeare.Kelly's announcement video: youtube.com/watch?v=EJQ8UD5lT50Nicole's announcement video: youtube.com/watch?v=Digf77F3rkAOur schedule:September 3: The Shakespeare Voyage TagSeptember 10: Romeo and JulietSeptember 17: Richard IIISeptember 24: Antony and Cleopatra#shaketember #shaketember2023
A Ramble with the Yarn: Health Update, Recent Reads, Book Depository and Criterion Haul Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2023-05-06 | In which I do a little crocheting, nurse a bad shoulder, cuddle with Blue, give a little background on what has been afflicting me the last almost two years, and share my last ever purchases from Book Depository.Here is the link to the video in which I explore my favorite-ever sentence, from Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse: youtube.com/watch?v=nxK2Rtw4rb0
March of the MAMMOTHS: 2023 Announcement Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2023-02-11 | Everyone's favorite gargantuan readathon returns! Lukas won't be joining us as a host this year, as he's on an indefinite hiatus from Booktube, but Alex from @bigalbooksforever will be hosting again. Here is the link to her announcement video:youtube.com/watch?v=5W3JzhzWKlg&t=31sThe objective: spend the month of March reading a book of 800+ pages. Finish it, don't finish it, stretch it out through the rest of of 2023 -- your choice. But spend the month giving some love to a long-neglected title that has always scared you off a bit owing to its number of pages.
A Ramble with the Yarn: Blonde, The Rings of Power, Mobthink and Cultural Collapse Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2022-10-15 | In which I lament the recent explosion of herd mentality with particular respect to attacks on Andrew Dominik's film Blonde and Amazon's original series The Rings of Power.An abridgement of Christina Newland's interview with Andrew Dominik in Sight and Sound: bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/interviews/im-not-interested-reality-im-interested-images-andrew-dominik-blondeSean Egan's opinion piece on Martin Scorsese:thecritic.co.uk/issues/october-2022/martin-scorsese-rinse-and-repeat-self-indulgence
Coriolanus: A Tale of Two Articles Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2022-10-01 | In which I discuss the many ways in which Caius Martius Coriolanus is a scumbag, the conundrum of ambiguity in the play, and the possibility that Shakespeare may unwittingly have given us a glimpse into his own mind in an unusual stage direction.My co-hosts for Shaketember have been Lukas @acruelreadersthesis5868 and Rainey @RaineyDayReads Play discussed in this video:Coriolanus by William ShakespeareAlso spoiler warning re: episode three of House of the Dragon!#shaketember #shaketember2022 #shaketube
Fate and Agency in All’s Well That Ends Well Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2022-09-07 | In which I discuss footnote weakness, beautiful lines, the influence of an earlier Shakespeare play and the tension between Fate and self-determination. My co-hosts in Shaketember:Lukas @acruelreadersthesis5868 and Rainey @RaineyDayReads The scene from Bowfinger which reminded me of Parolles's capture scene: youtube.com/watch?v=E6yFlIQxp8gPlays mentioned or discussed:All's Well That Ends Well by William ShakespeareHamlet by William ShakespeareMovies mentioned:Bowfinger (dir: Frank Oz)X-Men: First Class (dir: Matthew Vaughn)#shaketube #shaketember #shaketember2022
The Best 21st Century Films I’ve Seen: 40-31 Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2022-09-01 | I've long believed that the first two decades of this century have been two of the weakest decades for cinema. It occurred to me not long ago to wonder what, then, might be the best films from these 20 years -- the gems in the dross, if you will. So during the pandemic, I started filling in gaps in my viewing and assembling a ranked list of the 21st century films I -- as a student of film, as an unabashed film fan and as a former Film Studies instructor -- considered the best.The Ethan Hawke interview that I mention can be found here: indiewire.com/2022/07/ethan-hawke-interview-the-last-movie-stars-1234742709A magnificent bit of writing on Noah, that chimes with my own appreciation and that I just discovered earlier this summer: brightwalldarkroom.com/2016/08/08/sacred-texts-and-ruined-childhoods-on-aronofskys-noahPlease let me know what you think of the films I hold in such high regard from the last two decades. The earlier videos in this series can be found linked below:The Best 21st Century Films I've Seen: Introduction: youtube.com/watch?v=f-zhCGB601gThe Best 21st Century Films I've Seen: 100-91: youtube.com/watch?v=ooBy95-33jYThe Best 21st Century Films I've Seen: 90-81: youtube.com/watch?v=-IhqFo6-KW0The Best 21st Century Films I’ve Seen: 80-71: youtube.com/watch?v=cj-9CFXHCyY&t=106sThe Best 21st Century Films I've Seen: 70-61: youtube.com/watch?v=8bt-ro1ijZQ&t=646sThe Best 21st Century Films I've Seen: 60-51: youtube.com/watch?v=anaT1D9ReOI&t=153sThe Best 21st Century Films I've Seen: 50-41: youtube.com/watch?v=1610PedaaSQ&t=89s
Shaketember 2022 Announcement + three bonus beauties Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2022-08-06 | Please join Lukas and Rainey and me during the month of September as we celebrate Shakespeare's incomparable imagination! Our schedule is thus:9/3/2022: All's Well That Ends Well 9/10/2022: Coriolanus9/17/2022: A Midsummer Night's Dream9/24/2022: Jason (sonnets 12 and 120), Lukas (sonnets 20 and 98), Rainey (sonnets 103 and 117)Lukas's announcement video (@acruelreadersthesis5868) can be found here: youtube.com/watch?v=EoB2OtHt36cRainey's announcement video (@RaineyDayReads) can be found here: youtube.com/watch?v=3AEJY4zYvvARead along with us and make videos of your own on these plays and poems -- use the hashtags #shaketember and/or #shaketember2022, so we can find your videos easily -- or plays and poems from the rest of his substantial body of work. Or simply join in with comments on our videos.The website for the sculptor who made my ghoulish new mug is www.trevorfosterstudio.com.And if you've always had an original watch idea in mind, send me a message on Instagram (I'm oldbluecv), and I can put you in touch with my brother.
The A24 Movie Tag Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2022-04-24 | Original tag by Lucy Rutherford can be seen here:youtube.com/watch?v=c7Rv_DfxZycQuestions / prompts:1. Do you remember the first A24 Movie you saw?2. Which A24 movie do you relate to the most?3. Which A24 movie made you cry the most?4. Which A24 movie did you find the most disturbing?5. What movie is not an A24 movie but seems like it should be?6. An A24 movie you disliked?7. Have you ever DNFed an A24 movie?8. An underrated A24 movie you want to give a shout out to?9. Which A24 movie have you not seen yet that you're most looking forward to?10. Your favourite A24 movie?Wikipedia list of A24 releases can be found here:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_A24_filmsMy video on A Ghost Story from a few years back:youtube.com/watch?v=iPbDxNjU27YAnd finally, if you'd like to follow me on Letterboxd, here is that link:letterboxd.com/resurgence27
Maybe Midrash: 2022 Announcement Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2022-04-16 | Welcome to Maybe Midrash 2022, in which we read books and watch films that treat religion and religious thought with the gravity they deserve. Please use #maybemidrash2022 on any videos you make about the readathon, whether reviews of the books or films you've read or watched, or reflection videos on your small group experiences.Here is the link to the Paul Kingsnorth article I mention in this video:firstthings.com/article/2021/06/the-cross-and-the-machineAnd here is the link to the Letterboxd list I've prepared re: Midrash Cinema:letterboxd.com/resurgence27/list/midrash-cinema#maybemidrash #maybemidrash2022
First Library Sale in Two-and-a-Half Years Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2022-04-10 | Went to a library used book sale during my lunch break on Thursday, and a used bookstore this weekend, and here are the spoils.#bookhaul
Mammoths, Nuclear War, a Small Book Haul...and a Little Crocheting Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2022-04-01 | In which I discuss why I've read so little in March, racism and characterization in Gone with the Wind, nuclear war and the Russian soul. Oh, and I tease a yearlong project I have planned for 2023.Apologies for the hitches in the picture that last for two or three minutes roundabouts the 12-15 minute mark. I had a bizarrely difficult time getting so long a video uploaded, and I can only chalk it up to that.Books mentioned or discussed herein:Gone with the Wind by Margaret MitchellSecondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets by Svetlana AlexievichVoices from Chernobyl by Svetlana AlexievichStation Eleven by Emily St. John MandelThe Bell Jar by Sylvia PlathThe Dark is Rising series by Susan CooperPorius by John Cowper PowysThe Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer BradleyFilms mentioned or discussed herein:Threads (dir: Mick Jackson)Chernobyl (dir: Johan Renck)Station Eleven (dirs: Jeremy Podeswa, Helen Shaver, Hiro Murai and Lucy Tcherniak)Perceval (dir: Eric Rohmer)Steve's Arthurian Starter Kit video:youtube.com/watch?v=8nUCCfSnrkY#marchingmammoths2022
March of the Mammoths RETURNS! Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2022-02-06 | March of the Mammoths is a month-long celebration, each March, of what we call mammoths: books of 800+ pages! Choose one or more mammoths to tackle with us, whether you're a Booktuber, a regular commenter, or a lurker, and let us know what you decide on. March is the time to pull the rug from under feeling daunted by page counts. This event is co-hosted by Lukas @acruelreadersthesis5868 and Alex @bigalbooksforever. Their announcement videos can be found here:youtube.com/watch?v=ZAnqPPlsxY0youtube.com/watch?v=5Bv7FWuwN6U#marchingmammoths2022 #marchingmammoths
A January Book and Blu-Ray Haul Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2022-01-31 | In which I prattle on about four films and seven books, rake the work of who used to be my favorite film critic over the coals, and read a poem.www.foliosociety.com
Mammoth ✔️: Final Impressions of Red Comet Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2022-01-01 | Ringing out 2021 with a wrap-up on Heather Clark's biography Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath. Happy New Year, everyone! And if you've stuck with my channel, thanks for sticking with my channel.Earlier videos in which I discuss Red Comet:youtube.com/watch?v=_UrcZf876LY&t=1syoutube.com/watch?v=ZtWJVdlTu-U
The Best 21st Century Films Ive Seen: 50-41 Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-12-27 | I've long believed that the first two decades of this century have been two of the weakest decades for cinema. It occurred to me not long ago to wonder what, then, might be the best films from these 20 years -- the gems in the dross, if you will. So during the pandemic, I started filling in gaps in my viewing and assembling a ranked list of the 21st century films I -- as a student of film, as an unabashed film fan and as a former Film Studies instructor -- considered the best.Please let me know what you think of the films I hold in such high regard from the last two decades. The earlier videos in this series can be found linked below:The Best 21st Century Films I've Seen: Introduction: youtube.com/watch?v=f-zhCGB601gThe Best 21st Century Films I've Seen: 100-91: youtube.com/watch?v=ooBy95-33jYThe Best 21st Century Films I've Seen: 90-81: youtube.com/watch?v=-IhqFo6-KW0The Best 21st Century Films I’ve Seen: 80-71: youtube.com/watch?v=cj-9CFXHCyY&t=106sThe Best 21st Century Films I've Seen: 70-61: youtube.com/watch?v=8bt-ro1ijZQ&t=646sThe Best 21st Century Films I've Seen: 60-51: youtube.com/watch?v=anaT1D9ReOI&t=153sFilms discussed herein:Christine (dir: Antonio Campos)Doubt (dir: John Patrick Shanley)Girl with the Pearl Earring (dir: Peter Webber)Impossible, The (dir: J.A. Bayona)Jane Austen Book Club, The (dir: Robin Swicord)King's Speech, The (dir: Tom Hooper)Pan's Labyrinth (dir: Guillermo Del Toro)Prisoners (dir: Denis Villeneuve)Skyfall (dir: Sam Mendes)Witch, The (dir: Robert Eggers)
Oscar and Lucinda: Mythmaking (Chapters 80-111) Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-12-11 | Further examples of this conflation of beginnings with endings in the novel can be seen in the totemic existence and function of Oscar's caul as well as in the chapter entitled "The Vicarage Kitchen": the number of times the word "cross" is used to describe Lucy Millar in the midst of her preparing lamb (emblematic of Easter) and fresh bread made from dough pocked with cinders and ashes (evocative of communion and Ash Wednesday), framed by the confusion over whether the cursing of God precedes a kitchen accident or vice versa (which is the beginning? which the end result?). Readalong announcement video:youtube.com/watch?v=iAOThUpa3lg&t=72sVideo on chapters 1-32:youtube.com/watch?v=IZ1rxLERcBo&t=2sVideo on chapters 33-57:youtube.com/watch?v=zGtFPVA3Hhg&t=1198sVideo on chapters 58-79:youtube.com/watch?v=KzPDochANqI
Oscar and Lucinda: Embracing Contradiction (Chapters 58-79) Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-11-02 | Readalong announcement video:youtube.com/watch?v=iAOThUpa3lg&t=72sThe revised reading schedule is thus:Chapters 1-32 - for October 9thChapters 33-57 - for October 23rdChapters 58-79 - for October 30thChapters 80-111 - for November 6th
Oscar and Lucinda: Characterization (Chapters 33-57) Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-10-23 | Readalong announcement video: youtube.com/watch?v=iAOThUpa3lg&t=72sThe revised reading schedule is thus:Chapters 1-32 - for October 9thChapters 33-57 - for October 23rdChapters 58-79 - for October 30thChapters 80-111 - for November 6thLink to the Literary Hub article about the Literature of the Voice and Literature of the Pose: lithub.com/winning-the-game-you-didnt-even-want-to-play-on-sally-rooney-and-the-literature-of-the-pose
Oscar and Lucinda: Language as Play (Chapters 1-32) Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-10-10 | Readalong announcement video: youtube.com/watch?v=iAOThUpa3lg&t=72sThe reading schedule is thus:Chapters 1-32 - for October 9thChapters 33-57 - for October 16thChapters 58-79 - for October 23rdChapters 80-111 - for October 30th
Oscar and Lucinda: Readalong Announcement Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-09-06 | To dovetail with Victober, I'll be hosting an October readalong of one of my favorite novels of all-time: Peter Carey's Booker Prize-winning Oscar and Lucinda. Please join in, especially if you'll be coming to it the first time.The reading schedule is thus:Chapters 1-32 - for October 9thChapters 33-57 - for October 16thChapters 58-79 - for October 23rdChapters 80-111 - for October 30thHere is a link to a series of annotations that Peter Carey did in 2013. See the annotations for pages 339 and 342 to get a sense, in his own words, of what I discuss near the end of this video and why the American first edition hardcover is to be avoided at all costs:theguardian.com/books/interactive/2013/may/18/peter-carey-oscar-lucinda-annotationsHere is the link to my video on Neo-Victorian Fiction:youtube.com/watch?v=X2LFDY-kGAQ&t=2sThe music paying behind the intro in this announcement video is "Prince Rupert's Drop," from Thomas Newman's original score of Oscar and Lucinda, the 1997 film adaptation directed by Gillian Armstrong. Obviously, I neither own nor claim to own the rights to it, and fully and happily concede that whatever monies result from eventual monetization of this video be turned over to the copyright holder on that piece of music.Thanks to my wife Kelly and my friend Thomas for their technical assistance in the making of this video.#readalong #victober2021
Shaketember 2021: Motives, Malignancy and More in Othello Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-09-04 | In which Rainey from @RaineyDayReads, Lukas from @acruelreadersthesis5868 and I discuss the motives of Iago, the complexity of Emilia, the role that race may or may not play in the unfolding of the plot, and much more.Join us next Saturday, the 11th of September, for a discussion of Shakespeare's The Tempest over on Rainey's channel. Plays or books or other art mentioned or discussed in this video:Othello by William ShakespeareThe Tempest by William ShakespeareGod of Carnage by Yasmina RezaAngels in America by Tony KushnerMarat/Sade by Peter WeissShakespeare After All by Marjorie GarberWill in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt...and the Netflix animated series Bojack Horseman#shaketember #shaketember2021 #shaketube
The Event Formerly Known as Shaketube Returns: Shaketember 2021! Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-08-14 | Be sure to subscribe to all four hosting channels this year, if you're not already:@OldBluesChapterandVerse @acruelreadersthesis5868 @saintdonoghue @RaineyDayReads The schedule of Zoom discussions is as follows:9/4: Othello (on my channel)9/11: The Tempest (on Rainey's channel)9/18: a play of Steve's choice (on -- predictably -- Steve's channel)9/25: The Winter's Tale (on Lukas's channel)Read along with us and join in with your own videos or in the comments below our videos, or mix it up and go rogue with some Shakespeare of your own choice. Let us spend September celebrating the Bard!#shaketube #shaketember #shaketember2021
Page and Screen: Stalker (sans Roadside Picnic) Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-08-09 | In which Lukas, from the channel A Cruel Reader's Thesis, and I discuss Andrei Tarkovsky's film Stalker and -- to a lesser degree -- Geoff Dyer's book Zone: A Book About a Film About a Journey to a Room.
The Books and Life Tag Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-07-11 | @saintdonoghue created this tag, and his original can be found here:youtube.com/watch?v=8AI_wnQfIXo&t=2sImpellitteri's song "Tonight I Fly" can be heard here:youtube.com/watch?v=9N9QfVqTdw0The tag prompts are as follows:1. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being a normal person and 10 being the late Harold Bloom, how much are books and reading a part of your life?2. Where does your personal library stand right now in relation to the rest of your life? Do you have more books now than you ever have? Fewer? How has your library changed?3. Take a mental step back and ask yourself: what is the most likely first bookish impression a newcomer would have in your home?4. How often (if ever, gulp) do you clean or re-organize your books?5. On average, how many books do you acquire in a given week?6. What song is your current ear-worm?7. What percentage of your self-control do you retain in a well-stocked bookshop?8. Do you ever feel the need to take a break from books? If so, what form does it take?9. When you meet a new person, how long does it take you to bring up books?10. Have you given any thought/made any provisions for your personal library after you croak?11. Are you known among your friends & loved ones for your weird and probably unhealthy relationship with books?
A Rambling Response: The Function of Poetry Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-06-06 | In which I cast the net to the other side of the boat from which my friend Matt and I are fishing for the purposes of poetry.This video is largely a response to his video that can be found here: youtube.com/watch?v=kmCsC6YdnUUBut also, more nominally, to this wonderful video from my favorite Booktuber on the subject of poetry, Emily Butler: youtube.com/watch?v=WNHGL6Ck2Ok&t=161s Poems mentioned or discussed in this video include:"Every Riven Thing" by Christian Wiman"After the Diagnosis" by Christian Wiman"Lesbos" by Sylvia Plath"Awareness" by William Stafford"At the Thirtieth Reunion" by William Stafford"Not Writing" by Jane Kenyon
Maybe Midrash: Rachel Held Evans and Recalibrating One’s Relationship to Scripture Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-05-17 | In which I discuss Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by the late Rachel Held Evans.Maybe Midrash is an event I'm hosting with the following Booktubers (check out their channels if you've yet to do so):@saintdonoghue @RickMacDonnell Felicia at Little Prairie Library: youtube.com/channel/UCokJv7u_sHqZUrFQYetlyDA#maybemidrash #maybemidrash2021
Taxes! Taxes! Aha! Aha! or, a Belated Book Haul Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-05-08 | Hadn't done one of these in awhile. Felt good. Booktubers mentioned herein include Kelly @booksimnotreading and Heidi @myreadinglife8816.Here is the link to Kelly's video, in which I read the back cover of The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies by Robert Kirk: youtube.com/watch?v=QJYz4yoVc0w&t=12sStatement from the Authors Guild on WW Norton's decision to usher Blake Bailey's biography of Philip Roth out of print: authorsguild.org/industry-advocacy/authors-guild-statement-on-w-w-nortons-removing-blake-baileys-books-from-circulation/#:~:text=The%20Authors%20Guild%20stands%20firm,should%20stand%20on%20its%20own.
Page and Screen: Rebecca Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-05-01 | In which Juan from @justjuanreader and I natter on about Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca and Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation of it.
The Best 21st Century Films Ive Seen: 60-51 Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-04-16 | I've long believed that the first two decades of this century have been two of the weakest decades for cinema. It occurred to me not long ago to wonder what, then, might be the best films from these 20 years -- the gems in the dross, if you will. So during the pandemic, I started filling in gaps in my viewing and assembling a ranked list of the 21st century films I -- as a student of film, as an unabashed film fan and as a former Film Studies instructor -- considered the best.Please let me know what you think of the films I hold in such high regard from the last two decades. The earlier videos in this series can be found linked below:The Best 21st Century Films I've Seen: Introduction: youtube.com/watch?v=f-zhCGB601gThe Best 21st Century Films I've Seen: 100-91: youtube.com/watch?v=ooBy95-33jYThe Best 21st Century Films I've Seen: 90-81: youtube.com/watch?v=-IhqFo6-KW0The Best 21st Century Films I’ve Seen: 80-71: youtube.com/watch?v=cj-9CFXHCyY&t=106sThe Best 21st Century Films I've Seen: 70-61: youtube.com/watch?v=8bt-ro1ijZQ&t=646sFilms discussed herein:Hellboy II: The Golden Army (dir: Guillermo del Toro)House of Flying Daggers (dir: Zhang Yimou)Last Days in the Desert (dir: Rodrigo Garcia)Logan (dir: James Mangold)Loving (dir: Jeff Nichols)Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (dir: Peter Weir)Monsoon Wedding (dir: Mira Nair)Mr. Turner (dir: Mike Leigh)Obvious Child (dir: Gillian Robespierre)Zodiac (dir: David Fincher)
Maybe Midrash: TBR and Reflections Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-04-05 | In which I share what I'm planning to read, recommend two books as possibilities to all of you, and discuss the relationship this year's Maybe Midrash has to where I'm at in life more than a year into the pandemic.Books mentioned or discussed herein:Mariette in Ecstasy by Ron HansenAngels in America: Millennium Approaches by Tony KushnerAngels in America: Perestroika by Tony KushnerAs a God Might Be by Neil GriffithsInspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held EvansJack by Marilynne RobinsonMaybe Midrash co-hosts:@saintdonoghue @RickMacDonnell Felicia @Little Prairie Library: youtube.com/channel/UCokJv7u_sHqZUrFQYetlyDA
Maybe Midrash 2021 Announcement Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-04-04 | "Midrash," as defined in the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, is "a primary mode of rabbinic biblical interpretation," as well as the "literature [arising] from such interpretation." It is the conversation that happens when a narrative artist (academic, novelist, filmmaker, playwright, poet, composer) interprets biblical (or otherwise sacred) stories, traditions and ideas. Maybe Midrash is a May readathon in which we, as readers -- whatever our religious backgrounds or lack thereof -- bring our curiosity, intellect, skepticism and sense of wonder to bear in exploring religion. My co-hosts' announcement videos:Felicia @Little Prairie Library: youtube.com/watch?v=BEB8xhoxeqM@saintdonoghue: youtube.com/watch?v=m3TPojD5dHM@RickMacDonnell: youtube.com/watch?v=veHnSt74LZQTo participate in Maybe Midrash, read one work of literary fiction dealing with religion (think publishing houses like FSG and Penguin, not Thomas Nelson and Tyndale House) and one work of non-fiction dealing with religion during the month of May. Both will be books OF YOUR CHOICE. Please use #maybemidrash so that I can find your videos easily and collect them in a playlist.
A Ramble with the Yarn: Red Comet pages 100-250 + Three Films and the Perils of Deep Snow Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-03-22 | In which I discuss how snow can leave one hobbled, pros and cons in pages 100-250 of Red Comet, a few of the many flaws in a high profile Netflix film from 2020, and a foreign film and an American indie worth seeking out. Books discussed in this video:Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath by Heather ClarkFilms discussed in this video:Da 5 Bloods (dir: Spike Lee)Frantz (dir: Francois Ozon)Light from Light (dir: Paul Harrill)#marchingmammoths2021 #worldpoetryday
The Reason for No Ramble Tonight: Snowmageddon Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-03-15 | This was the second largest snowstorm I’ve ever witnessed first-hand (the worst was a storm during my undergraduate days that dropped 22 inches of snow, overnight, in about 10 hours). And we didn’t get near as much snow as some of the cities to the south of us. We made the international news in the Guardian, which is kind of exciting!theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/14/us-winter-storm-rocky-mountains#snowtube
A Ramble without the Yarn: 100 Pages of Red Comet + Two Films from Chloé Zhao Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-03-08 | In which I attempt (tired and nursing a headache in this video) to discuss the flaws in Heather Clark's framing of her biography relative to previous Plath biographies, what I'm liking in the book so far, and the films Nomadland and Songs My Brothers Taught Me.Kelly's "Saint Patrick's Day Shoutouts Challenge" video:youtube.com/watch?v=VenNjw2pgjABooks mentioned or discussed in this video:Rough Magic: A Biography of Sylvia Plath by Paul AlexanderSylvia Plath: A Biography by Linda Wagner-MartinBitter Fame: A Life of Sylvia Plath by Anne StevensonThe Silent Woman: Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes by Janet MalcolmRed Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath by Heather ClarkThe Tempest by William ShakespeareDays of Destruction, Days of Revolt by Chris Hedges and Joe SaccoFilms discussed in this video:Nomadland (dir: Chloe Zhao)Songs My Brothers Taught Me (dir: Chloe Zhao)#marchingmammoths2021
Stirring the Seuss Pot: Thoughts on Cultural Erasure Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-03-07 | In which I give my two cents on the whole Dr. Seuss broo-ha-ha transpiring this last week. Please note that the text herein from the blog post I wrote years ago has featured in an earlier video on my channel. I will link it below, in case any of you are interested. Here is the link to the Seuss Estate's statement:seussville.com/statement-from-dr-seuss-enterprisesHere is the link to my earlier video on what Christianity is and is not (in my view), and why the excision of even the most objectionable passages from the Bible is a bad idea:youtube.com/watch?v=qs09cAeUy14Here is the link to Lili Wilkinson's column in the Guardian:theguardian.com/books/2021/mar/05/dr-seusss-legacy-of-kindness-has-only-been-bolstered-by-his-estates-decisionHere is the link to Brian's video on the Seuss controversy @BookishTexan :youtube.com/watch?v=ktLuDM9DblE&t=133sAnd here is the link to Madison's video at Reading Wayfarer:youtube.com/watch?v=mMM6nsYWWuo&t=5s#drseuss
March of the Mammoths 2021...Begins Now! Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-03-01 | For those of you who don't know, March of the Mammoths is a readathon I created in 2019 and have been co-hosting with Lukas @acruelreadersthesis5868 and Alex @bigalbooksforever since then. It's a readathon during which we encourage everyone -- whether you have a channel or not -- to at least begin reading, in earnest, one of those 800+ page mammoth books on your shelves during the month of March. I'm reading the new biography of Sylvia Plath, Red Comet, this month -- and I thought it would be fun to share all of the books by and about Plath that my wife and I own before embarking.If you're going to be participating and if you haven't yet let me know with what book, let me know in the comments below. Happy March of the Mammoths, everyone! I look forward to your check-ins!
A Ramble with the Yarn: 2021 Reading Roadmap, Telling Stories in Reverse and Will Ferrell Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-02-22 | In which I discuss my niggling problem with the novel I'm currently reading, what much of the rest of my reading year shall look like, and why I like Will Ferrell.Books discussed in this video:- The Western Wind by Samantha HarveyBooks mentioned in this video:- The Night Watch by Sarah Waters- Daughters of the North by Sarah Hall- Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath by Heather Clark- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier- Serena by Ron Rash- As a God Might Be by Neil Griffiths- Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans- Jack by Marilynne Robinson- Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell- Far Tortuga by Peter Matthiessen- The Fifth Season by NK Jemison- Zona: A Book About a Film About a Journey to a Room by Geoff Dyer- White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi- Unquiet by Linn Ullmann- Winter's Tale by Mark HelprinFilms discussed in this video:- The Forty-Year-Old Version (dir: Radha Blank)- Stranger than Fiction (dir: Marc Forster)- Everything Must Go (dir: Dan Rush)- Beginning (dir: Dea Kulumbegashvili)Booktubers mentioned in this video:Lukas @acruelreadersthesis5868 @RickMacDonnell Jack @ Rambling Raconteuryoutube.com/channel/UCYJoqMxWfnqqttRZa-qkeDQJuan @justjuanreader
The A to J Tag Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-02-19 | Original video from Jim's Books Reading & Stuff:youtube.com/watch?v=xtdqEcABGE4&t=0sI was tagged by Sina from Beating Around the Books:youtube.com/watch?v=YdJvfPrlkHEThe prompts:1. A is for Author: which author have you read the most books by?2. B is for Black History Month: what are you reading for Black History Month? 3. C is for Currently Reading: what are you reading right now?4. D is for Drink: what is your drink of choice while reading? 5. E is for E-Book: do you prefer e-books or physical books? 6. F is for Favorite Fictitious (or Fictional) Character: who is yours? 7. G is for Georgia: do you know any famous Georgians (the country -- not the US state)? 8. H is for Horror: is there a book that really scared you?9. I is for...I don’t know…Italy, India, Ireland…Intelligent…whatever you like...10. What book have you Just finished?Books mentioned or discussed herein:Italian Shoes by Henning Mankellthe Kurt Wallander series by Henning MankellThe Western Wind by Samantha HarveyOur Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens'Salem's Lot by Stephen KingThe Little Stranger by Sarah WatersThe Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea BarrettMrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
A Ramble with the Yarn: Shout-Outs, Romantic Scenes in Literature and...Viscera Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-02-15 | In which I shout out a new channel, shout out a new video from Kelly, say a few words about Mrs. Dalloway and The Western Wind, read aloud what I consider the most romantic scene I've ever read...and speak at length about shit, piss, snot, mud and blood.Sina's channel Beating Around the Books:youtube.com/channel/UC61bA8SxHgoE9O9JgAQouQwKelly's video in which she and I discuss what it's like being married to a Booktuber:youtube.com/watch?v=EsbOi0U9Lj0&t=12sThe Guardian article in which writers discuss their favorite romantic scenes in literature:theguardian.com/books/2021/feb/13/i-can-cry-just-thinking-about-it-the-most-romantic-moments-in-literatureBooks mentioned or discussed in this video:Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia WoolfThe Western Wind by Samantha HarveyAngle of Repose by Wallace StegnerHarvest by Jim CraceHavoc, in its Third Year by Ronan BennettFilms discussed in brief or at length in this video:September (dir: Woody Allen)The Silence of the Lambs (dir: Jonathan Demme)The Dig: (dir: Simon Stone)Hard to Be a God (dir: Aleksey German)
A Ramble with the Yarn: Hateful Comments, More on Mrs. Dalloway and 22 July Old Blues Chapter and Verse 2021-02-02 | In which I discuss body shaming and harassment in the comments field, omniscience and inventorying in Mrs. Dalloway, and the importance of Paul Greengrass's film 22 July.Kelly's video on commenting:youtube.com/watch?v=heyUdQbOe1Y&t=113sSteve's video response:youtube.com/watch?v=47kGXK4YskgAnd, lastly, a video from Claudia at Spinster's Library on the subject (I don't mention her video herein, but it's terrific, and she's been one of the fiercest Booktubers on the subject of hate in the comments field):youtube.com/watch?v=krJ9m5Y8YzABooks or texts mentioned or discussed:Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia WoolfLeaves of Grass by Walt WhitmanTwelfth Night by William ShakespeareFilms mentioned or discussed:Light of My Life (dir: Casey Affleck)In Search of Kundun with Martin Scorsese (dir: Michael Henry Wilson)22 July (dir: Paul Greengrass)
