ephermera-remix
Untitled
My eBay and etsy stores are closed due to the sudden death of my laptop. Like most things, eBay and etsy are designed for people who have ready access to technology, transportation, money and the internet. Hopefully I'll be able to scrounge up something before I lose too much income.
Dan and Betty - Ted and Sylvia
As I've had free time, I've been watching Mad Men on the ol' Blu-Ray player. I've also been reading Ted Hughes' The Birthday Letters, an auto-biographical series of poems about his life with Sylvia Plath. And the two disparate stories line up in my mind; Don and Betty Draper seem to echo Ted and Sylvia.
Ted was a working glass Welsh manly man guy; Sylvia was a upper middle class spoiled American. Both display the prejudices of their native cultures in their writing (I'm amazed at how many times Hughes uses hackneyed physical ethnic descriptions this late in the game - it feels like a throwback to T.S. Eliot.) I can easily see some streaming service making a full season of their first year together.
For some reason marriage seemed like a good idea at the time, or better and more respectable than "living in sin" in the 1950s. This is also the weak point of Mad Men for me (though I'm only finishing the third season,) the unexplained decision of Betty to marry Don Draper who had no background to speak of. Did Betty and Sylvia both see no other prospects that combined sexual excitement with familial stability?
End-of-year reading list
January
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel (****1/2)
Naked Lunch: The Restored Text by William S. Burroughs
read by Mark Bramhall (****)
The Little Endless Storybook by Jill Thompson (****)
Wonder Women of America by Ruth Wiggens (***1/2)
Jack Kerouac's On the Road edited by Harold Bloom (****)
Wilson by Daniel Clowes (**)
The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke
read by Simon Prebble and Davina Porter (***1/2)
32 Stories by Adrian Tomine (***1/2)
Batman, Incorporated by Grant Morrison & Yanick Paquette (****)
Irredeemable, Volume 8 by Mark Waid & Peter Krause (***1/2)
The Birth of the Beat Generation: Visionaries, Rebels, and Hipsters, 1944-1960
by Steven Watson (****)
Epileptic by David B. (***1/2)
February
Supermen!: The First Wave of Comic Book Heroes 1936-1941
edited by Greg Sadowski (****)
The Sandman Presents: The Furies by Mike Carey & John Bolton (***)
Irredeemable, Volume 9 by Mark Waid & Diego Barreto (****)
The Aeneid by Virgil, translated by Allen Mandelbaum (****)
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
read by Frank Muller (****)
Agonizing Love: The Golden Era of Romance Comics
edited by Michael Barson (****)
Are You Loathsome Tonight? by Poppy Z. Brite (***1/2)
Mary Reynolds and the Spirit of Surrealism
edited by The Art Institute of Chicago (***1/2)
The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle
read by James Adams (***1/2)
Battle Royale by Koshun Takami
translated by Yuji Oniki (***1/2)
The Beats: A Graphic History by Harvey Pekar (***1/2)
The Black Hole by Alan Dean Foster (***)
March
All Color Book of Greek Mythology by Richard Patrick (***1/2)
Modern Toys: American Toys, 1930-1980 (****)
Film: Encounter by Hector Currie (****)
Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates (****)
Nemo: Heart of Ice by Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill (***1/2)
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
read by Anna Massey (*****)
April
Howards End by E.M. Forster
read by John Franklyn-Robbins (****)
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (***)
Astro City: Confession by Kurt Busiek & Brent Eric Anderson (***)
The Quiet American by Graham Greene
read by Joseph Porter (****)
It's a Good Life, if You Don't Weaken by Seth (***1/2)
I Never Like You by Chester Brown (**)
Blood: A Southern Fantasy by Michael Moorcock (***1/2)
Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe (***1/2)
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
read by William Dufris (***1/2)
A Jew in Communist Prague, 1: Loss of Innocence (****)
A Jew in Communist Prague, 2: Adolescence by Vittorio Giardino (***1/2)
The Cabbie by Marti (****)
May
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde adapted by Lorenzo Mattotti (*****)
Athos in America by Jason (***)
Dungeon: Zenith, Volume 2: The Barbarian Princess
by Joann Sfar & Lewis Trondheim (****)
Dungeon: Zenith, Volume 3: Back in Style
by Joann Sfar & Lewis Trondheim (***1/2)
From Wonderland With Love: Danish Comics in the Third Millennium
edited by Steffen P. Maarup (*****)
The Red Diary / The Re(a)d Diary
by Teddy Kritiansen & Steven T. Seagle (****)
The Adventures of Tintin, Volume 1 by Herge (**)
Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip, Volume ONe (***1/2)
June
Star Wars: Vader's Little Princess by Jeffrey Brown (****)
The Book of Schuiten by Benoit Peeters (*****)
Dungeon: The Early Years, Volume 2: Innocence Lost
by Joann Sfar & Lewis Trondheim (***1/2)
The Sky Over the Louvre by Bernard Yslaire (*****)
Murder by High Tide by M. Tillieux (***1/2)
Colere Noire by Thierry Smolderen (**1/2)
Dead End by Thomas Ott (****)
Batman: Dark Victory by Jeph Loeb & Time Sale (***1/2)
The Authority, Volume 1 by Warren Ellis & Bryan Hitch (***1/2)
Bosses in Lusty Chicago: The Story of Bathhouse John and Hinky Dink
by Lloyd Wendt (****)
Erotic Art 2 edited by Phyllis & Eberhard Kronhausen (****)
July
Buja's Diary by Se-yong O (****)
Rohan at the Louvre by Hirohiko Araki (***)
The Playboy by Chester Brown (***)
The Bottoms by Joe R. Lansdale (***1/2)
Erotic Art of the Masters: The 18th, 19th & 20th Centuries
edited by Bradley Smith (****)
AX: Alternative Manga, Volume 1 edited by Sean Michael Wilson (**1/2)
George Sprott: 1894-1975 by Seth (***1/2)
I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets! by Fletcher Hanks (*****)
Ceramic Uncles & Celluloid Mammies: Black Images and Their Influence on Culture
by Patricia A. Turner (***1/2)
Scenes From an Impending Marriage by Adrian Tomine (**)
August
The Swords Trilogy by Michael Moorcock (***1/2)
The Chronicles of Corum by Michael Moorcock (**)
The Chrysalids by John Wyndham (***)
You Shall Die by Your Own Evil Creation! by Fletcher Hanks (****)
Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton (****)
Superman for All Seasons by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (***1/2)
The G.N.B Double C by Seth (****)
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World by Bryan Lee O'Malley (***1/2)
Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics by Paul Gravett (***1/2)
September
New York Drawings by Adrian Tomine (***1/2)
Scott Pilgrim & The Infinite Sadness by Bryan Lee O'Malley(***1/2)
I Wear the Black Hat: Grappling with Villians
by Chuck Klosterman (***)
Incorruptible, Volume 5 by Mark Waid & Marcio Takara (***)
Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together by Bryan Lee O'Malley (****)
Incorruptible, Volume 6 by Mark Waid & Marcio Takara (***1/2)
More Baths Less Talking by Nick Hornby (****)
Runaways: Pride & Joy by Brian K. Vaughan & Adrian Alphona (***)
Runaways: Teenage Wasteland by Brian K. Vaughan & Adrian Alphona (***1/2)
Rabid Eye: The Collected Rare Bit Fiends by Rick Veitch (***1/2)
October
The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers (***1/2)
The Maximortal by Rick Veitch (****)
Lost Cat by Jason (**)
Invincible: Family Matters by Robert Kirkman & Cory Walker (**)
Irredeemable, Volume 10 by Mark Waid & Diego Barreto (****)
Werewolves of Montpellier by Jason (**)
A Small Killing by Alan Moore & Oscar Zarate (****)
Life With Mr. Dangerous by Paul Hornschemeier (*****)
Market Day by James Sturm (***)
November
The Prisoner: Shattered Visage by Dean Motter (****)
Ocean by Warren Ellis & Chris Sprouse (***1/2)
A Pictorial History of Sex in Films by Parker Tyler (****)
Love and Rockets: New Stories, No. 1 by Jaime & Gilbert Hernandez (***1/2)
Chance in Hell by Gilbert Hernandez (****)
The Unknown by Mark Waid & Minck Oosterveer (***)
The Sadeian Woman and the Ideology of Pornography
by Angela Carter (*****)
Love and Rockets: New Stories, No. 2 by Jaime & Gilbert Hernandez (****)
Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez (***)
December:
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
read by Scott Brick (***1/2)
Locke & Key: Head Games by Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez (***)
Sshhh! by Jason (**)
Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows by Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez (***1/2)
Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom by Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez (***1/2)
Violent Cases by Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean (****)
American Vampire by Scott Snyder & Rafael Albuquerque (**)
Scalped: Indian Country by Jason Aaron & R.M. Guera (*)
Incorruptible, Volume 7 by Mark Waid & Damian Couceiro (***)
Signal to Noise by Dave McKean & Neil Gaiman (***)
The Annotated Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen & David M. Shapard (****)
Too terrible to finish:
The Black Stranger and Other American Tales by Robert E. Howard
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
shameless self-promotion
open letter to a CEO
Dear Mr. Dandapani,
I understand that this may seem forward, but I've had a trying experience with one of the hotels under your stewardship. I see that you've written a book on hospitality, so you would probably be concerned about any lack of said quality within your chain.
My wife and I booked a stay at the New York Manhattan Hotel for the night of October 8, 2013. We choose this hotel because of the great reviews it had and because of the location's closeness to the Amtrak station. This night in Manhattan was a quick stopover in the middle of a week of train travel. Outside of a quick meeting with friends, we were counting on taking nice, long showers or baths after travelling coach on the train, and then getting some sleep.
On this night, the City of New York was apparently turning off the water to your building. Now, we do not blame the hotel for this action, nor do we expect the hotel to be responsible for our planned allotment of time spent in the city. We do blame the management for not letting us know about this occurrence during check-in. Nor did anyone think to call or text my cell phone with this information as an advance warning. (I did notice that the desk seemed especially busy, so perhaps the last would be "above and beyond," but some companies offer this service up front.) We specifically chose your hotel, despite the expense, because it advertised large, private bathrooms. I could easily have stayed at a cheaper competitor that offered shared bathrooms.
We found out about the shut-off only because I decided to read what appeared to be a construction notice, stuck to the hallway wall with masking tape. It was the official notice from the city. So, not only were your guests not told about this, but they were expected to read random xeroxed papers taped to the walls to learn about it.
In a bit of a panic, we took quick five-minute showers. We had to get them in before the water shut-off (I believe it was listed for 8pm) and before being too late to meet our friends. When we came back from dinner, it was much calmer at the desk, so I went to talk to the manager on duty. I was told that there wasn't one. I asked if the water was indeed off, and I was told that it was. I noticed that the lobby bathroom had been closed of with a "out of order" sign on it. I asked where we could use a bathroom nearby. The clerk shrugged and said "I don't know." I explained that we were leaving before the water was noted to come back on, and asked again if he could think of a nearby hotel or coffee shop that would be open (it was not yet midnight). I was again given the shrug and the "I don't know."
Now, I have worked in retail for many years. Every company that I've worked for has emergency plans. If the power goes out, everyone knows what to do. Well, I was standing in an expensive Manhattan hotel and being given the impression that no one who worked there had thought any of this out before hand. Surely, one of the workers in the lobby would be familiar with the local businesses open during the night. At least they should be familiar with the hotel, also owned by your company, that was across the street and that might have a working bathroom!
At this point I was fairly irate at having paid full price for a hotel without basic working facilities. Again, I wasn't blaming the hotel for the lack of water. I did expect an offer of compensation. I've stayed at cheap motels and been offered a discount because another guest decided to set off the fire alarm. I asked for a discount on my room. The clerk said that it wasn't possible and the the manager wouldn't be available until after our departure. Perhaps it is just the New York attitude, but he seemed to take all this as a joke. It's no big deal to send your guests out into the night in search of a bathroom in an unfamiliar town.
After getting a few hours of sleep I went down to take care of the bill. The clerk called over a another worker who stood next to me. I was then asked if I intended to leave without paying. I replied that I had full intention of paying for my night's stay, but hoped for at least an offer of a discount for my inconvenience. Again, I was told that it could not be done. With the impression that the clerk was ready to sic security on me, I signed my bill and left.
Of course, upon arriving home after our trip, I emailed hotel management, who replied that the water being off wasn't the hotel's fault. Again, I have never said that it was. I only expected some expression of responsibility for one's guests. There was no apology for the bad customer service.
I also opened a dispute with American Express over the bill. They have sent me a copy of the response you hotel management gave them. There is a statement claiming that the water was NOT off during our stay and that they did their best to accommodate us.
So who is lying? Did the clerk lie when he told us the water was off and the bathrooms not working? Did your manager lie in order to keep AmEx from finding the dispute in my favor?
Needless to say, my wife and I have let everyone in our social network know of our bad experience. All of our friends and acquaintances across the country now know better than to stay at one of your Apple Core hotels. Which is very sad, because the room itself was excellent. The location was great. But who wants to stay at a hotel that can't cope with an emergency?
I know I never want to again.
Yours sincerely,
Raymond Johnson