tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87713108830475544702012-02-16T01:29:08.586-05:00Random musings from my random state-of-mind.Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1501100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-57134748794867249242009-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:002009-01-09T10:56:57.376-05:00

. . . and that's it for Literary Conceits at this web address! I've moved the blog over to homebase at www.brianjayjones.com, where it's better integrated with the rest of the content of my home page. (If you type in that address and get the old page, just give it a bit of time for everything to reset. it will work in a bit.)If you're linking to this blog, please change your link address over

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-84640164275192769362009-01-08T06:00:00.007-05:002009-01-08T10:23:34.041-05:00

During the final week of 2008, Friend o' the Blog and Feared Book Reviewer Josephine Damian spent several days over on her blog discussing what she considered the Best Books She Read During 2008. And what do you think was her pick for the best non-fiction book of the year? Well, it was Gabriel Garcia Marquez's News of a Kidnapping. But to my delight -- and complete surprise -- Washington Irving

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-5881202715015143652009-01-07T14:16:00.003-05:002009-01-07T14:29:26.548-05:00

Several readers have e-mailed me to point out that comments on the blog have recently been disabled, and are wondering what's up. Squashing debate? Getting spammed? Tired of the adoration?Nope, none of the above. I'm in the process -- working with Me Bruddah the Webmaster -- of whisking this blog over to the Mother Ship at www.brianjayjones.com. We're also working on cleaning up the main site

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-38346320643117029622009-01-07T10:27:00.006-05:002009-01-07T15:05:39.767-05:00

Last night, I was alerted by Casey, my editor at Arcade, that Richard Seaver -- founder and president of Arcade Publishing -- passed away unexpectedly on January 5. He was 82. The obituary from today's New York Times is here.I never had the pleasure of meeting Richard personally, but I knew of his reputation and commitment to making Arcade a top-notch publisher that played with the big boys,

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-30159614209108465582009-01-06T10:00:00.004-05:002009-01-06T14:38:32.859-05:00

Happy New Year! And it's good to be back after . . . yeeks, was it really nearly a week? Well, I missed you, at any rate.Nothing terribly interesting to note or report at the moment, but here's what's on my mind:. . . The ice storm that was threatening the DC region passed us by with a only drizzle of rain and a scrim of ice on the windshields this morning. This was much to my daughter's

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-2586823726508607132008-12-30T13:19:00.006-05:002008-12-30T14:29:36.251-05:00

Coming, perhaps appropriately, on the heels of yesterday's review of John Lennon: The Life, a number of readers have e-mailed to ask my opinion of the recent "One Laptop Per Child" commercial that uses Lennon's likeness and a digitized "voice." If you haven't seen it yet, here you go:My reaction? Meh. While many of the commenters on YouTube are offended that the highly-selective Yoko Ono would

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-81106345150092655252008-12-29T13:00:00.009-05:002008-12-29T13:56:00.758-05:00

"In September 2003, I suggested to John's widow, Yoko Ono, that I should become his biographer," writes Philip Norman in the Acknowledgements section of John Lennon: The Life. However, after reading the final manuscript, "Yoko Ono was upset by the book," Norman tells us, "and would not endorse it . . . [saying] I had been 'mean to John.'"I actually don't think Yoko's got anything to worry about;

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-135185647145921752008-12-25T06:00:00.006-05:002009-01-06T10:48:11.168-05:00

Happy Holidays! As promised, here are some highlights from Washington Irving's 1820 short story "Christmas Dinner." Enjoy.The dinner was served up in the great hall, where the squire always held his Christmas banquet. A blazing crackling fire of logs had been heaped on to warm the spacious apartment, and the flame went sparkling and wreathing up the wide-mouthed chimney. The great picture of the

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-40992685704792833572008-12-24T10:03:00.011-05:002008-12-24T16:10:06.729-05:00

For your holiday reading, here's an excerpt from Washington Irving's 1820 short story "Christmas Eve," lifted from the pages of The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.And remember what I told you here yesterday: when Irving tells you something is "ancient custom," he is not to be trusted. The rogue.Anyway. Here we go:The grate had been removed from the wide overwhelming fireplace to make way

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-56422441153795297492008-12-23T20:30:00.005-05:002008-12-24T02:58:52.855-05:00

When I give talks about Washington Irving, inevitably, one of the first questions I get is, "Why did you choose Irving as your subject?" And my answer is, "Because I'm a Christmas junkie."About ten years ago, while browsing the paperbacks table at Trover Books on Capitol Hill, I came across Stephen Nissenbaum's The Battle for Christmas, a book that -- according to its back cover -- "charts the

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-73488150616475429802008-12-18T11:26:00.009-05:002008-12-18T12:05:33.947-05:00

The conversation I had with one of my sources yesterday -- I always think of them as "conversations" rather than "interviews" -- went spectacularly well. If this project pans out, and this is any indication of the caliber of people I'll be dealing with -- self-deprecating to a fault and bone-dry funny as hell -- then this is going to be even more fun than I already thought it would be.One of

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-13313252845820437842008-12-15T09:36:00.011-05:002008-12-15T14:52:30.186-05:00

I'm working under a deadline this week -- as well as preparing my background materials and interview questions for another source for my work in progress -- so I'm stepping away for just a bit. But I'll do my best to be back here before the end of the week.In the meantime, just because I think it's funny, here's video of Senator David Vitter of Louisiana -- on the floor of the United States

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-55141911336012232442008-12-12T11:07:00.004-05:002008-12-12T11:20:44.566-05:00

My pal Scott Phillips is a staff writer for the new kids' television series Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, and he gave me a heads up that there'll be a "sneak preview" of the series -- which is Officially Premiering in 2009 -- on the CW Network this weekend. Check your local listings and write it down on your calendar now. In ink.The premiere episode isn't written by Scott -- his first episode will

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-6537974487787056312008-12-11T08:08:00.019-05:002008-12-11T12:57:50.252-05:00

One of the most pressing moral dilemmas faced by parents is the Santa Claus Problem. You know how this works: as parents, we tell our children they should never lie, because lies make Baby Jesus cry and the world a rotten place. Yet, come Christmas time -- the time of the year when lying should be last thing on our minds -- we tell our kids an enormous fib -- namely that a jolly, bearded man in

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-19244817586256804192008-12-09T10:12:00.016-05:002008-12-09T11:44:11.728-05:00

December 9, 2008, marks the 400th birthday of one of the most celebrated poets in the English language, John Milton. Colleges and universities around the world -- and, appropriately, even a number of churches and cathedrals -- are celebrating the day with marathon readings of Milton's epic Paradise Lost. Hit the Googles and see if there's one taking place near you, and then by all means go.If

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-42142195421060182222008-12-05T09:36:00.006-05:002008-12-05T11:24:25.657-05:00

There are a number of questions that remain among life's most imponderable. What is the true nature of good and evil? Why does God allow suffering? And the most important question of all -- at least as it relates to western culture -- in Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, what in the heck was wrong with the doll that it earned a place of shame on The Island of Misfit Toys?For the benefit of those

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-8648182022641385272008-12-04T10:10:00.015-05:002008-12-05T09:35:56.434-05:00

Last night's Domenici staff celebration was an absolute delight. Lots of familiar faces, many of which I hadn't seen in years, and plenty of opportunities -- usually starting with the question, "How old are your kids now?" -- to feel really, really old. Domenici staffers -- perhaps a reflection of the Senator's own rather laid-back demeanor -- always seem to always be among the funniest and

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-17683470003931030562008-12-03T09:34:00.008-05:002008-12-04T17:39:27.153-05:00

Tonight, down on Capitol Hill, is the final gathering of former and current staff for my old boss, U.S. Senator Pete V. Domenici, who's retiring from office. I wasn't able to attend any of the similar events in New Mexico, so I'm glad Barb and I will be able to make tonight's celebration.While cleaning out my basement last month, I came across a manila folder crammed with mementos from my Hill

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-70921515275440547242008-12-02T11:03:00.007-05:002008-12-02T11:24:48.158-05:00

Sit down cross-legged on the floor of the living room and pull a TV tray over in front of you. In the days before video tapes, DVDs, and cable television made it possible to watch Christmas specials year round or multiple times, you had exactly one shot a year at catching Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Year Without A Santa Claus, or A Charlie Brown Christmas. If you missed it, you were

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-83758959670472084042008-12-01T10:09:00.005-05:002008-12-01T10:26:51.046-05:00

I'm back, after a good week away in which I had a terrific conversation with a source (during which I was also given several more contacts), a good day at the Library of Congress (I'll sing the praises of their online newspaper archives later), and a terrific Thanksgiving weekend. And all this in spite of the fact that both Maryland and New Mexico were smoked in their respective college

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-18590792357409750462008-11-24T09:36:00.009-05:002008-11-24T10:10:30.569-05:00

I know, I know . . . I vowed to stay away for a week. And I really am on my way out the door to go interview a source, but I just couldn't let this go past.Over the weekend, the Vatican announced that it had "forgiven" John Lennon for his 1966 comments in which he remarked that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. According to the article on the BBC website (which you can see here):The

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-57072558055536630502008-11-21T10:26:00.006-05:002008-11-21T10:48:13.076-05:00

Next week, I'll be taking a brief hiatus from blogging while I do a bit of poking at my Work In Progress (which I still can't talk about, but if and when I can, I'll explain everything). On Monday, I'll be interviewing a source for several hours, then heading over to the Library of Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, it's a little thing called Thanksgiving; on Friday, I'll nail my

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-49861969286225588932008-11-20T09:39:00.005-05:002008-11-21T15:05:27.208-05:00

This just keeps getting better and better.Movie Trailers - Movies BlogWhile I and my fellow nerds are squeeeing all over the Internets about the prospects of a way-cool Watchmen flick, there's one person who is decidedly unenthusiastic about the film: Watchmen writer Alan Moore.Over at the Los Angeles Times, there's a fascinating article and interview with the always-interesting Moore, who says

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-45534306924692265902008-11-19T10:32:00.012-05:002008-11-19T12:18:59.382-05:00

Over the weekend, Paul McCartney announced his intention to release a 40-year-old "lost" Beatles track, a 14-minute avant garde piece assembled by McCartney -- with an assist from John Lennon -- called "Carnival of Light." As reported by the London Guardian, the track was never released -- not even for the deep-drilling Anthology collection -- "because three of the Fab Four thought it too

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-40013481865884533312008-11-17T07:58:00.005-05:002008-11-17T08:33:38.717-05:00

I always put DVDs and CDs back in their cases with the title straight up and down, for ease of reading.I can only talk on the phone with the phone pressed against my right ear.I take notes in fountain pen.I'm not a great driver, but I can squeeze a car into almost any parking space with room to spare.When I listen to music, I often try to sing only the harmony or backing vocals. I call this "

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-44764192395769711962008-11-12T11:07:00.006-05:002008-11-12T11:21:27.426-05:00

A Google crawl only just recently brought this to my attention, but I was pleased -- and pleasantly surprised -- to see the Writers and Editors website mention my homepage -- linked over there to your right -- as an example of a well-designed author website for marketing, publicity, and promotion. Considering I'm in company with Tom Wolfe, Judy Blume, and Miranda July's way clever page, it's high

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-15674029436073106382008-11-11T08:51:00.004-05:002008-11-11T08:59:35.830-05:00

"It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-22211675248881539602008-11-10T09:16:00.002-05:002008-11-10T09:25:15.258-05:00

Congratulations to Agent J and his wife, Cameron, on the birth of their son, Roan Michael Lyons, on Tuesday, November 4! Quite an election day for them, I'm sure.

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-25621642332366881632008-11-07T09:43:00.008-05:002008-11-07T11:34:45.345-05:00

It might be early November, but you'd never know it from the weather in Maryland. Even as the Midwest is pummelled by a freak blizzard, the Atlantic seaboard (or at least our corner of it) is enjoying temperatures hovering near the 70s. So we get to enjoy the autumn colors in spring-like temperatures.That's causing some amusing confusion in our yard. The view from our kitchen window -- framed

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-35872470112389819012008-11-06T10:55:00.006-05:002008-11-06T11:13:22.048-05:00

Friend O'The Blog Brian D. -- who's not only a pal, but one of those rare lawyers with a sense of humor -- shot me a message regarding yesterday's post about the Supreme Court's "fleeting" profanity discussion that helps put some of the remarks in better context. Over to you, BD.... Reading today's blog, curiosity got the best of me and I set out to find the transcript. As great as the Post

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-58722546558584859892008-11-05T10:46:00.004-05:002008-11-05T11:08:51.209-05:00

I loved this story in today's Washington Post, about the Supreme Court's discussion of whether the government can fine television networks for a one-time, "fleeting" expletive on television. The case came about in response to Cher inadvertently(?) dropping the Queen Mother of Swears on a live awards show in 2002.I got a kick out of government's attorney arguing that overturning this policy could

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-36359568466686978652008-11-04T09:48:00.007-05:002008-11-04T10:28:15.388-05:00

My wife and I headed over to Damascus Elementary School at eight this morning to cast our votes in the election. There are thousands of reasons we love living in a small town, and here's yet one more: here's the line we stood this morning as we waited to vote:(Sorry it's blurry; I took it with my phone camera as I was approaching the entry.)Yup, we waited exactly ten seconds before we signed in

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-2471272519259484822008-11-03T06:00:00.002-05:002008-11-03T06:00:00.323-05:00

My pal Brian D. informed me that there's an interview with me in Pasatiempo, the arts magazine of the Santa Fe New Mexican. It's actually the transcript of a conversation I had over the phone with reporter Craig Smith about ten months ago, as I was stuck in traffic. It's also one of the first interviews I ever did -- at least sitting on the business end of the microphone -- and I think the

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-61242780844615514982008-10-31T09:33:00.016-04:002008-10-31T13:54:34.446-04:00

As I discussed here yesterday, Washington Irving's tale "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is one of those true rarities in American literature -- a tale nearly all of us can summarize, even if we've never read the original story.Or can we?Most of us recall Irving's tale mainly through a series of strong visual images: Ichabod Crane on horseback, looking like a scarecrow on a hobby horse. Ichabod

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-24863639802299563542008-10-30T10:27:00.018-04:002008-10-30T15:33:22.030-04:00

Tomorrow is Halloween, which means it's time to re-read one of the classics of American literature, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Pull your copy down off the shelf, and turn to pa . . . what's that? You don't own a copy? You've never even read it?It's okay.Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is one of the great sleeper hits in American literature, a story whose elements stay in our

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-7661011096408533982008-10-29T06:00:00.014-04:002008-10-29T10:23:36.539-04:00

It's official: I've moved into the new office space.Just to review, we spent this summer retrofitting our 1930s-era farmhouse for a geothermal air conditioning and heating system, a labor-intensive activity that required us to move nearly everything out of our basement and attic storage spaces. In the process of sorting through the mess, we decided to change the function of several rooms in the

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-39652763244737500502008-10-28T09:56:00.009-04:002008-10-28T15:47:36.716-04:00

I was saddened this morning to learn that mystery novelist -- and fellow New Mexican and University of New Mexico Lobo -- Tony Hillerman died of pulmonary failure this past Sunday at age 83.I was only slightly acquainted with Tony Hillerman -- I began attending the University of New Mexico, and working at UNM's newspaper, the Daily Lobo, the year after he all but officially stepped away from the

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-78691893988897008652008-10-27T10:14:00.009-04:002008-10-27T12:51:51.932-04:00

Hard as it may be to believe, we've made the turn into the final week in October. The weather in central Maryland has finally turned distinctly fallish -- though it was still nice enough this weekend that I could do a quick mowing of the lawn, zipping around the yard like Richard Petty to trim the grass and mulch the fallen leaves. This afternoon, it's back on the ol' mower to aerate before the

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-70629404876844433762008-10-24T10:10:00.006-04:002008-10-24T10:36:02.396-04:00

Anyone catch the reference to Joe The Plumber's search for a book deal, as reported on last night's Countdown with Keith Olbermann? In case you missed it, here's a bit from Keith Olbermann's related blog entry over on Daily Kos:I just managed to drop this in to tonight's "Campaign Comment" and there aren't a lot more details to be had, but I learned during Countdown tonight that Joe "The Plumber

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-72569516274238011432008-10-23T09:47:00.004-04:002008-10-23T12:36:41.974-04:00

Good grief, have I really let this thing slide for three days? When I first started blogging, I was content to post maybe once or twice a week. Now I don't like letting it sit idle for more than a day or two, tops.Anyway.The main impediment here is a lack of computer. I'm in the process of relocating my home office, and several days ago, I unplugged my computer and all its attachments (i.e,

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-43645363088265996272008-10-20T08:03:00.013-04:002008-10-20T11:46:50.715-04:00

Congratulations to my colleague at Arcade, Dr. Stephen Weismann, for a pair of stellar advance reviews for his book Chaplin: A Life. Publisher's Weekly called it an "engaging…portrait of how a cinema artist is created and how he practices his craft," while the rock 'em, sock 'em Kirkus says it's "a fresh entry in the evergreen field of works devoted to Charlie Chaplin," as well as a "perceptive,

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-29364713323284028702008-10-17T12:34:00.011-04:002008-10-17T14:11:15.891-04:00

I had a great time last night speaking at the Goshen Historical Preservation Society. The crowd was responsive, the food was good, and we even moved quite a few books. All in all, a successful event, and I couldn't have asked for nicer hosts. My thanks to the GHPS and to all who came. I had fun.__________Fall has officially arrived here in Maryland. After weeks of temperatures in the high 70s and

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-5372835926411541712008-10-16T06:00:00.000-04:002008-10-16T06:00:00.789-04:00

Just a reminder that I'll be speaking tonight before the Goshen Historical Preservation Society, at 7:30 p.m. at the Church of the Nazarene in Goshen, Maryland.Come join the fun as I give what I call my E! True Hollywood Story talk:LAUGH! as Irving dances with the “fine, portly, buxom dame” Dolley Madison (even as he finds President Madison to be a depressing “withered apple-john”!)CHEER! as

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-91005019421968603792008-10-15T06:00:00.028-04:002008-10-16T10:58:13.955-04:00

I'm obsessed with knowing how things work. More specifically, I love knowing how people work -- how they do their jobs, what their creative process is, what their working environments are like, and what challenges they face. I'm especially fascinated when it comes to learning more about how writers and artists produce whatever it is their particular craft might be.When you hold a book in your

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-38901026177120310912008-10-14T10:05:00.007-04:002008-10-14T10:25:24.911-04:00

"U.S. Forces Nine Major Banks To Accept Partial Nationalization," reads the front page, stacked-and-centered banner headline on today's Washington Post -- making this about the fifteenth day in a row we've seen an enormous banner headline in a newspaper that isn't normally known for such drama above the fold.* And as I do every day, I shake my head at the headlines, make a quick scan through the

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-4113194767619968182008-10-13T12:24:00.006-04:002008-10-13T12:37:07.536-04:00

Happy Columbus Day!"They continued on their course until two in the morning, when a gun from the Pinta gave the joyful signal of land . . ."It was on Friday morning, the 12th of October, that Columbus first beheld the new world. As the day dawned he saw before him a level island several leagues in extent and covered with trees like a continual orchard. Though apparently uncultivated it was

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-7419504151095285062008-10-09T09:38:00.010-04:002008-10-09T13:26:25.543-04:00

Tomorrow night -- and on every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from now through Halloween -- Historic Hudson Valley (HHV) is presenting the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. If you're in New York any time over the next four weekends -- or are planning to be -- then trust me, this needs to be on your agenda. Add it now. It's one of the coolest things

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-54843371981383207572008-10-08T12:21:00.006-04:002008-10-08T14:46:11.041-04:00

So,was anyone else infuriated by this? I hope so; it's our money paying for it, after all:AIG Spa Trip Fuels Fury on HillPressing Executives to Concede Mistakes,Lawmakers Blast Them About BonusesFor some people at AIG, the insurance giant rescued last month with an $85 billion federal bailout, the good times keep rolling. Joseph Cassano, the financial products manager whose complex investments

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-82027389064547789432008-10-07T12:37:00.012-04:002008-10-07T16:08:49.607-04:00

In 1960, science and technology writer Clifford B. Hicks -- an editor for Popular Mechanics -- wrote the first of what would eventually be nine children's books featuring a spunky young inventor named Alvin Fernald. Alvin -- with the help of his own "Magnificent Brain," his best friend Shoie, and his sister Daphne ("The Pest") -- was always stumbling onto mysteries that needed investigating,

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-81557168442950641962008-10-06T10:45:00.007-04:002008-10-06T12:33:52.958-04:00

When it comes to games in our household, we're decidedly analog. We like dice games like Yahtzee, word games like Quiddler, board games like Sorry!, and we love card games. One of our favorites -- especially when we've got only a short amount of time -- has always been a game called Authors.The object of Authors is a simple one: using Go Fish-type rules -- where you ask other players for specific

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-62401806467282107192008-10-03T14:05:00.006-04:002008-10-03T18:13:53.818-04:00

From the Associated Press wire, as of 1:30 today:House starts voting on $700B bailout bill(AP) — The House has started a roll call vote on historic legislation providing $700 billion in government money to bring stability to reeling financial markets.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it a vote for "Mr. and Mrs. Jones on Main Street." My wife and I talked it over, and we've decided to accept their

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-88407332906029238042008-10-02T09:53:00.016-04:002008-10-02T11:27:16.055-04:00

From "The More Things Change..." Department, as we watch the financial drama unfurl on Wall Street and in Washington, DC, I thought I'd share with you a remarkably prescient essay Washington Irving published in 1855, as part of the collection of stories in Wolfert's Roost. In this particular essay, "A Time of Unexampled Prosperity," Irving alludes to the Panic of 1837, a financial crash that was

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-26616278295541876692008-10-01T06:00:00.007-04:002008-10-01T08:59:51.832-04:00

I point you with amusement toward this interesting bit of literary playgrounding, courtesy of the Associated Press:Nobel literature head: US too insular to competeSTOCKHOLM, Sweden—Bad news for American writers hoping for a Nobel Prize next week: the top member of the award jury believes the United States is too insular and ignorant to compete with Europe when it comes to great writing.As the

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-12961460820074574802008-09-29T08:14:00.009-04:002008-09-29T11:23:26.666-04:00

Is it really the last week of September? Really?Sorry to step away last week -- deadlines and Life Away From The Internets were both calling. But lots of interesting little things going on.First, the geothermal system is up and running. We turned it on last week, it fired up immediately, and with the quirky weather we've been having -- cold and windy one day, warm and rainy the next -- we've

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-89201000180769131952008-09-23T09:53:00.008-04:002008-09-23T10:41:16.367-04:00

Last night I attended the first post-summer break meeting of the Washington Biography Group, "an informal gathering of people who write memoirs or biography," as our semi-sort of official bylaws read, "attended by professional writers as well as people writing personal or family memoirs (and a few who are working up the courage to do so)." I was initiated into the group more than a year ago by

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-11280526938853771482008-09-22T06:00:00.001-04:002008-09-22T14:07:32.681-04:00

While we're on the subject of comics collections, a reader e-mailed to ask me if I prefer reading stories in their collected format, as opposed to their original, off-the-rack comic form.I've got an answer, but let me declare some caveats first.I like being able to pick up trade paperback collections of complete stories -- particularly of titles I've never read -- not only because it's easier

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-34780500105115249962008-09-18T09:47:00.008-04:002008-09-18T10:56:08.581-04:00

I just finished reading the first gorgeous volume of Neil Gaiman's Absolute Sandman, and got to thinking about my collector's mentality. I bought every issue of Sandman right off the comics rack in the 1980s and 1990s. I also purchased each of the paperback reprints as they appeared (including the boxed set of the first three) and I've been buying the Absolute editions as soon as they've been

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-51807480429699249962008-09-16T06:00:00.006-04:002008-09-16T06:15:25.454-04:00

I got a typically pleasant note from my editor the other day informing me that Washington Irving got a nice mention in The Weathercock, the newsletter from the 175-year-old St. Nicholas Society of New York.The piece is more of a summary of Irving's life than an actual review, though the reviewer notes warmly that in Irving, "one sees distinctly the lineaments of the quintessential and archetypal

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-38910728400651023752008-09-15T10:31:00.011-04:002008-09-15T12:21:10.771-04:00

I know it seems I say this EVERY week . . . but I've been assured that the geothermal system will go live today. No, really. The wells are complete -- and have been connected to the house -- and the majority of the work has been completed inside. But now the two have to be linked together -- and that's what's going on today. By the time I get home this afternoon, I should be walking into a

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-9463174467104723152008-09-11T10:02:00.006-04:002008-09-11T12:39:58.793-04:00

So many images from that day seven years ago are burned into our collective American consciousness: the plane hitting the second tower. Bodies tumbling through the air like ragdolls. Blackened firemen shouting over the din. Bankers, brokers, deli owners and commuters, fleeing downtown Manhattan. Let me tell you what was going on in Washington, DC, that morning.In September 2001, I was working

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-47012664930953192682008-09-10T06:00:00.009-04:002008-09-10T06:22:20.954-04:00

Naw, it's not the Four Horsemen of the Nerd Apocalypse; it's just screenwriter, director, Friday the 13th novelist, comic book writer-and-drawer, and good pal Scott Phillips ("the other one," he says) being interviewed over at ScreamTV.net, where he talks about writing, killer hippies, filmmaking on a budget, Kamen Rider, and why ComiCon doesn't suck, in spite of the commercialism.Scott's a

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-18640445665964567122008-09-09T06:00:00.009-04:002008-09-09T10:06:48.423-04:00

In no particular order -- and for no particular reason (I'm not even in a bad mood!) -- here are Things That Bug Me:* Child Actors Who Shout Their Lines.Shouting your dialogue does not make it funny or more entertaining. Yes, I am talking to you, Cole and Dylan Sprouse from The Suite Life of Dumb and Dumber. It didn't work for Larry Mathews from The Dick Van Dyke Show, nor for Christopher Olsen

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-35127669846580107352008-09-08T11:12:00.008-04:002008-09-08T17:10:37.794-04:00

Does anyone here really follow the sage advice "Never read your reviews?" It's advice nearly as old as the printed word itself ("Gutenberg! Put down that copy of Ye Kirkus Reviews, and don't believe a word they say about 'making religion too common...'!") and while many writers over the centuries have both dispensed the advice and claimed to follow it, the truth is, most of them read their

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-75809021177932293442008-09-05T10:38:00.006-04:002008-09-05T11:00:49.999-04:00

Given that John McCain formally accepted the Republican nomination for President last night, I’d like to say a few words, if I may . . . about my mom.For the past week, my mom has been an Official Voting Delegate for the State of New Mexico – meaning she was down there on the floor of the convention all week in St. Paul, and when each state formally cast its ballot to nominate McCain, my mom got

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-24716019483002316602008-09-04T09:11:00.010-04:002008-09-04T10:08:24.110-04:00

If you love Charlie Brown, you loved Bill Melendez. But you probably didn't know it.Back in the 1960s, when it came time to turn Charles Schulz's hyper-successful Peanuts comic strip into the animated cartoon that would eventually be called A Charlie Brown Christmas, animator José Cuauhtemoc "Bill" Melendez was the man hand-picked by Schulz for the job. Taking Schulz's almost impossibly simple

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-20152458864889725522008-09-03T09:33:00.013-04:002008-09-03T13:20:38.134-04:00

From the Thanks for Asking! Department, we're still in the process of installing the geothermal system, so we're not yet basking in the luxury of indoor cooling -- but we're getting there. Two 350-foot wells have been drilled and a loop of black tubing has been run down each, then grouted into place inside each well. The two open ends of each black tube are now sticking out of each well, ready

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-33352123192117217222008-09-02T10:20:00.013-04:002008-09-02T12:36:45.048-04:00

Can it really be post-Labor Day already? Weather-wise, it doesn't seem like it -- although we've been blessed with cooler temperatures in Maryland for most of the summer, more heat is on the way, and the lack of rain has turned every yard in town a crispy brown. Still, it won't be long before the flowers start to fade and trees start to shed.In our neck of the woods, though, Labor Day marks

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-59943339645338082092008-08-29T01:00:00.000-04:002008-08-29T01:00:00.614-04:00

I've stepped away from Literary Conceits today to take a seat on the dais over at Book Roast, where they're giving me a Sinatra-esque basting, but without tuxedos or the drinks. So bring your own. The rules are simple: I've selected a short excerpt from the book (and given that two of the books featured this week were The Debs and Tan Lines, I decided to go with a bit of Irvingesque romance),

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-24320798219186076982008-08-28T10:24:00.016-04:002008-08-28T13:46:03.441-04:00

The latest from the Hollywood Messes With Another Childhood Memory Department: the Land of the Lost remake is officially underway, with Will Ferrell in the lead role of Will Marshall. In this new version, the Will and Holly rounding out the Marshall, Will and Holly triumvirate will be adult companions of Will Marshall, and not his children. Way to blow the initial conceit, Hollywood. Yeesh.As a

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-70779131619057367042008-08-26T10:07:00.011-04:002008-08-26T13:55:36.924-04:00

Over the weekend, in a column in the Washington Post, high school English teacher Nancy Schnog pondered the disturbing finding -- which we discussed in this very blog several months ago -- that a vast majority of high school students don't read anything for pleasure. In fact, as she points out (citing a report from the National Endowment for the Arts), the percentage of 17-year olds who read

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-40680124647035892602008-08-25T05:00:00.004-04:002008-08-25T06:12:33.677-04:00

We're entering the homestretch of our HVAC retrofit here at Chestnut Hill, as we continue the work to install a modern geothermal heating and cooling system in our decidedly stubborn 70-year-old house. Most of the major ductwork has been completed, but ensuring that air could move between the top and bottom floors of an old house meant sacrificing the closet in the downstairs bedroom, which is

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-18767316239839671412008-08-20T11:29:00.003-04:002008-08-20T12:01:19.790-04:00

August is passing by so quickly I forgot to mention that I'll be one of the five authors featured during next week's Book Roast. (Is it really the last week of the month already?) I'm the only non-fiction writer on the skewer for the week, so drop by and give me a grilling that would make Joel and the 'Bots proud. It's all in fun, so have a good time. I promise to take it all in stride.And

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-47170343095442187522008-08-19T09:40:00.010-04:002008-08-19T11:16:28.942-04:00

One of the more unusual pleasures of running a blog or website is that you can pull down all sorts of interesting and oddball statistics on how readers are finding you. Sure, you can see where your visitors are coming from (hello there, My Regular But Shy Reader in Berlin!), and even what browsers they're using to read you -- but that's the easy stuff. More fascinating is the ability to see

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-63858173846602363402008-08-18T14:26:00.007-04:002008-08-18T16:12:26.863-04:00

Whoops, sorry once again to have been away so long. We were in Austin for several days, to pick up Madi, who was coming in from Phoenix so we could whoosh her back to Maryland. For my airplane reading, I picked up Eric Clapton's autobiography, which turned out to be a surprisingly good read. I mean, where else are you going to see someone so casually toss off a line like, "Backstage, John [

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-15282386210952573062008-08-12T11:01:00.009-04:002008-08-12T14:52:20.062-04:00

Sorry to miss you here yesterday, but I was at the library. And not just the library, but the library -- the Library of Congress. I spent most of yesterday hunkered down in the Periodicals Reading Room of the Madison Building doing some research on my current work in progress -- which is still in a way too scattered state for me to announce anything yet, sorry. At the moment, I'm just poking.I

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-17983508587272671292008-08-08T17:50:00.005-04:002008-08-09T20:03:29.373-04:00

Several readers have sent me a heads up on this feature in The New York Times, on artist Elena Climenta's mural for New York University’s Languages and Literature building. Even casual readers know this (work spaces) is one of my favorite topics -- and in this case, it's particularly appropriate, given that Washington Irving's study at Sunnyside is featured in one of the mural's panels.You can

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-39493370924420504592008-08-07T08:13:00.006-04:002008-08-07T09:08:27.944-04:00

EC Comics artist Jack Kamen -- best known for his horror stories featuring saucy, plotting women and wide-eyed "widdle kids" -- died this week of cancer. He was 88 years old.Like all EC artists, Kamen's style was one-of-a-kind. But where artists like Jack Davis or Graham Ingels made everything look heavy and inky and creepy, Kamen -- due to his pre-EC background in romance comics -- had a

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-8682448251665662902008-08-06T08:16:00.011-04:002008-08-07T13:59:11.483-04:00

It's a beautiful day here in Maryland this morning -- 70 degrees, lightly overcast, and one of those days where you'd really like to spend the morning in bed with the window open, enjoying the breeze and listening to the birds chatter.But I can't.Some random bits today:The HVAC crew is back at it again today, working hard to bring us into the 20th century, and maybe even a bit into the 21st.I

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-90781562754017014122008-08-05T09:00:00.005-04:002008-08-05T09:06:30.272-04:00

This morning I had the pleasure of going to the post office to send an inscribed copy of Washington Irving to a former U.S. Ambassador to Spain, who was thrilled to learn I had written about his illustrious predecessor. I'm always pleased when Irving gets recognition beyond his literary accomplishments, and it's an honor to send my book to the ambassador.Even closer to the home front, we're in

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-53559885795504184322008-08-04T09:28:00.010-04:002008-08-04T09:55:39.828-04:00

In this month's installment of The Biographer's Craft, editor Jamie McGrath points readers toward an ongoing debate in the British press on the health of and general outlook for biographies. And it's well worth a look.Leading the pack is Kathryn Hughes -- biographer of George Eliot -- who argues in The Guardian that biographies are teetering on the edge of irrelevance, thanks largely to . . .

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-47552166032480624852008-07-31T11:55:00.006-04:002008-07-31T16:21:34.173-04:00

. . . and over we go to the Hudson Valley Blog, where I'm very pleased to have them reprinting my "Antient and Renowned City of Gotham" piece from early last week.Even if you read it here, swing by HHV and have a look by clicking here.While you're there, poke around on their website and learn about some of the terrific historic properties they own and manage. You'll be so impressed you'll want

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-75309977218830484982008-07-31T08:10:00.007-04:002008-07-31T10:06:45.540-04:00

Continuing our discussion on libraries from yesterday, there is some good news: libraries are working hard and doing some creative things to bring in new readers, especially younger readers. I point you toward this article in the Maryland Gazette on the libraries in my area hosting video game competitions -- specifically, Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero.According to the article,"The video

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-57743184335123870812008-07-30T10:02:00.005-04:002008-07-30T11:10:56.900-04:00

According to this article in today's Washington Post, budget reductions have prompted the D.C. public library system to propose cutting back its hours -- including the closing of all branches on Fridays.I wish this wasn't a common occurence. Even in my neck of the woods -- up in Montgomery County, Maryland, where we have a fairly healthy budget -- our libraries aren't open every day, either.

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-54156641179562029582008-07-29T10:08:00.010-04:002008-07-29T11:04:58.910-04:00

First, there's this news straight outta San Diego: Neil Gaiman is writing a two-issue Batman arc -- running through Batman and Detective Comics -- for 2009. Pardon me while I say Zoinks! You can read about it here and here and here.And then there's this interview with Alan Moore, over on L'Essaim Victorieux des Mouches D'Eau. Moore discusses writing, working, and politics -- and when the

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-84892378636447052332008-07-28T10:01:00.008-04:002008-07-28T13:58:19.207-04:00

We've all got them in our CD collections: those discs we're embarassed to own and will either make excuses for ("I got it for a buck!") or outright lie about ("Er, that's not mine...") if anyone finds it in the CD cabinet.I've got quirky enough tastes in music that I'll even 'fess up to purchasing -- and enjoying -- CDs like Neil Sedaka's The Hungry Years or Toto: Past to Present (1977-1990).

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-57318112119262516602008-07-25T08:00:00.003-04:002008-07-25T10:41:56.082-04:00

This only just came to my attention: the New York Society Library has posted video of the talk I gave on April 19 for National Library Week. So if the audio itself isn't enough, and you wanna feel like you were really there, you can check out the video right here. I'll also hardlink it over in the right-hand column, in case you feel the urge to watch it over and over again...

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-8292402753198135172008-07-24T11:06:00.013-04:002008-07-24T14:22:04.383-04:00

Looks like it's Batman Week here at Literary Conceits, as we dip into the mailbag for a question from Rich in Ocala, Florida:"Found your page through your review of the Ten Cent Plague, and I really liked your recent posts about Batman. As a fellow comics nerd, I've gotta ask: What do you collect, and how big is your collection? Any particular favorite Batman writers, artists, or stories? Always

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-15478842398336265052008-07-22T06:00:00.003-04:002008-07-23T15:46:21.857-04:00

Batman fans owe a debt of gratitude to Washington Irving. Why? Two words: Gotham City.In 1806, 23-year-old Washington Irving was New York City's worst attorney. Bored with his legal practice -- he would allegedly abandon the only client he ever had -- Irving persuaded a close friend, James Kirke Paulding, to join him in launching a literary project. The object of this self-published effort, as

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-22457078478054839052008-07-21T06:00:00.007-04:002008-07-21T06:42:50.324-04:00

In honor of the release of The Dark Knight -- which broke all kinds of records this weekend -- I wanted to share with you My First Batman Comic.I first became a Batman fan not because of the comic books or the TV show (which was off the air before I was a year old), but rather because of the Super Friends cartoon, which premiered on ABC when I was six years old. It may have featured a somewhat

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-52206526691278220992008-07-18T09:54:00.002-04:002008-07-18T10:45:39.971-04:00

Translation: Who watches the watchmen?I do. And now you must, too.

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-51421899267241925042008-07-15T13:00:00.003-04:002008-07-15T13:00:00.151-04:00

A quick post today from one of the truly great buildings in the United States. I'm sitting at a computer in Alcove 3, just off the Main Reading Room at the Library of Congress, where I'm doing a bit of research on several potential projects. I'm waiting for the librarian to drop a book off for me at desk 191, which I can see just over the top of this computer, peeking around some of the

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-2938131324680544642008-07-14T07:00:00.002-04:002008-07-14T08:09:23.739-04:00

Had a nice breakfast with Jonathan over the weekend, complete with great conversation covering everything from baby names and vampire novels, to publisher habits and works in progress. Always a pleasure. (And yes, I had eggs benedict. With crab cakes.) Two things I'm anxiously looking forward to:First, there's this:And then, of course, there's this:Don't get between me and a movie theater on

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-529703919596123302008-07-11T06:00:00.005-04:002008-07-11T10:16:16.657-04:00

Happy 7-11! Have a Slurpee.Looking forward to tomorrow, as we're having breakfast in DC with Agent J*. Jonathan is in town mainly for pleasure, but is willing (and foolish enough) to let Barb and me join him for breakfast at Luna Grille in Dupont Circle, where everything on the menu has the word "benedict" after it. And we love anything with benedict in it. Except Benedict Arnold, of

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-64437427718478460202008-07-10T10:23:00.010-04:002008-07-10T16:09:11.240-04:00

Courtesy of a heads-up from Pat McNees at the Washington Biography Group, I point you to a terrific piece in the Guardian on writers' rooms. Click here to go get it. I'll wait.I talked about this a while back, how a writer's space is, more often than not, his or her sancto sanctorum. And while I continue to admire -- and slightly envy -- those who have the Dickensian ability to work almost

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-89347919530454536752008-07-09T11:14:00.004-04:002008-07-09T12:01:07.910-04:00

From the Here's Why I'm Not A Superhero File:Years ago, I was walking east on East Capitol Street -- almost literally within the shadow of the dome of the Capitol Buidling -- when I spotted a woman about block in front of me running frantically in my direction, chasing after a large golden retriever. The dog was running at full speed, its leash trailing along behind it, visibly delighted in that

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-44876381753674778092008-07-08T11:55:00.010-04:002008-07-08T14:45:53.113-04:00

So I finally caved in and bought a new cell phone. Hardly an exciting or life-altering moment, I know, but you have to understand: I can't stand cell phones. Yet, I know I need one, so I keep trying to skate by with the simplest phone I can find. I don't need a phone that takes pictures and video, or plays music, accesses the internet, has GPS capability, or converts into a Transformer-like

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-9096042377205555802008-07-07T08:13:00.014-04:002008-07-07T09:27:30.648-04:00

Why is it that when you take 500 otherwise perfectly healthy human beings and put them within the confines of a theater, that suddenly half the room develops some sort of respiratory disorder that causes them to cough incessantly?You know what I'm talking about: you sit down in a theater, read through your program, and all seems well . . . until the lights go out, and suddenly, the Sickness

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-23537149273951040452008-07-03T06:00:00.016-04:002008-07-03T09:11:15.411-04:00

As I promised yesterday, here's a rundown of my five favorite biographies. I should probably qualify this by adding the disclaimer "...at this particular moment", as my list might very well be different, depending on when you ask me. Yeah, I'm a noodge that way.Anyway, here they are, in no particular order:Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley (Peter Guralnick)There's a moment from the

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-26970058868519446552008-07-02T08:31:00.005-04:002008-07-02T08:56:55.092-04:00

In the past few issues of The Biographer's Craft newsletter, editor (and pal o'mine) James McGrath Morris has been asking biographers to list their top five favorite biographies. This month it's two authors of books on biographies, Carl Rollyson (of Biography: A User's Guide) and Nigel Hamilton (author of How to Do Biography: A Primer), along with Mr. Morris himself. It's always a fun piece, so

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771310883047554470.post-74866337242696524192008-06-30T08:09:00.006-04:002008-06-30T09:45:49.496-04:00

Jonathan Karp, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Twelve imprint, discusses the impact of "disposable books" in yesterday's Washington Post. You can read Karp's piece right here. (Oh, and writers everywhere, prepare to cringe while reading Karp's opening paragraphs. You'll never hear the word "mulching" quite the same way again...)I'm one of those who's still skeptical of the ability of

Brian Jay Jonesnoreply@blogger.com