CULTURE SWAB

Joy and woe, I find myself somehow connected to a wi-fi hotspot while out in the middle of nowhere. Hopefully it will not last; the internet is a damnable distraction, and I don't want to get distracted just now.

Blah blah blah, writing, writing, blah blah blah.

The only news I've got to report is that I've been seriously considering returning to the Twin Cities area to be close to the girls. I found out that one charity group is hiring for a load of positions, so I've applied there, and I think odds are good I'll be hired... and then I'll be back doing the work I really care about.

I've been listening to an arseload of indie-type singer-songwriters lately: Matt Costa, Gary Louris, Jason Collett, Ray LaMontagne, stuff like that. Interestingly, they all seem to blend together into one massive, sensitive voice that's nearly indistinguishable. Except for Josh Ritter's latest, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, which I've been rotating more and more. It's an interesting album, even though I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it yet. Certainly a departure from The Animal Years. Though for my dollars the real standout is still Alexi Murdoch's Time Without Consequence, which has been in heavy rotation and which I have yet to tire of.

Also finally got around to reading Elmore Leonard's American Tabloid and Carlos Ruiz Zafón's The Shadow of the Wind. Both are very good so far. Don't know why I waited so long...