I think The Believer might be a bit like daytrotter for literature. Well, not at all really. Not in terms of custom graphics, or writing mostly on the up-and-coming, or inviting the featured artists to come and make something in-house each time. It's just reviews and interviews. But in the sense I wanted to mean it, which is looking at great stuff from a kinda-indie aesthetic, from a kinda left-of-sideways point of view leading to long riffs taking the personal as universally metaphorical, like this musing on John Updike by John Freeman. (I don't know who either John is right now, but I might go check them out)
I came across via The Guardian recommending this interview with David Simon of The Wire, interviewed by Nick Hornby. And David Simon knows who Nick Hornby is, and everything. (Of course he knows Nick Hornby! He still reads books, doesn't he? But if you, at 15, were so stoked to 'discover' High Fidelity, sometimes it's just some kinda strange that other people like David Simon can be familiar enough to casually drop in references ("three chords and the right guitar solo..." - I'm pretty sure that's just lifted right out) as well)
More importantly, anyways, it includes a quick guide to recognising Dickensian/Shakespearean/Ancient Greek literary styles, and their respective influences on some pop culture elements.
I learnt stuff, and that.
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1 comment:
i was stoked to discover high fidelity at 16, damn, always one literary step behind.
always mean to read the believer, even bought it once, but never do. i think some TAL contributers also contribute, always a plus
..wouldn't mind being a contributer as a job, just generally.
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