INTERVIEW A Conversation in Writing
S<i>tephanie Gayle, who works at the MIT Media Lab, released her debut novel </i>My Summer of Southern Discomfort<i> this summer. The novel follows Natalie Goldberg, a New England lawyer who has moved to Macon, Ga., as she navigates a capital murder case and her own life in the sticky Southern summer. Recently, I met with Gayle to discuss her novel and her writing in general. The following is an excerpt from that conversation.</i>
MOVIE REVIEW ★★★ Check Out That Luggage
The Darjeeling Limited,” the latest film by Wes Anderson, is a tour de force of overt symbolism. In the film, three brothers bring their emotional baggage (played by real luggage) to India (played by India) and go on an emotional journey (played by a train ride) to confront their past (played by their mother).
THEATER REVIEW An Abstract Week of Art
When I first heard about <i>365 days/365 plays</i>, Suzan-Lori Parks’ project to spend a year writing one play a day, I remember thinking it was a little, um, ambitious. But I also remember reading her play, <i>Topdog/Underdog</i>, which brought fresh ideas on racial identity, history’s everyday presence, masculinity as a weapon, and masculinity as a weakness. I suppose few people would be better equipped than Parks for such an undertaking.
CD REVIEW ‘In Rainbows’ a Lofty, Beautiful Success
After four years of mystery, the longest gap between Radiohead albums has finally come to a decisive close, following Wednesday’s release of new record <i>In Rainbows</i>.
BREWERY REVIEW A Beer to Save America
Freshly made beer, mechanical contraptions, and hyperbole are three of my favorite things. On a sunny afternoon, you can find all of these things at a tour of the Sam Adam’s factory in Jamaica Plain. First off, logistics: it’s actually really easy to get there. Just take the Orange Line down to Stony Brook and follow the signs that say “beer this way.” Second, they only ask for a $2 donation for the tour, and the money goes to local charities. Yes, you get to be a Good Samaritan and tour a beer factory on the same day. Lastly, don’t go on Saturdays: it’s crowded beyond belief. Oh, and make sure you’re over 21.
CONCERT REVIEW Esbjörn in the U.S.
I’m already late for the first set. Facing the whitewashed double doors of Scullers Jazz Club, I ease one open and slip inside.
MUSEUM REVIEW Shoe Mania Hits Museum of Fine Arts
If you’ve been avoiding any of Boston’s museums because you can’t tell a Renaissance painting from a Post-Impressionist, your excuse has just been smashed. “Walk This Way,” one of the Museum of Fine Art’s latest exhibits, is a parade of shoes, some new and some old. Everyone can understand shoes — we wear them, don’t we?
CD REVIEW New Animal Collective Is a Sticky Mess
At the end of “The Devil Wears Prada,” fictional fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestley deems her super assistant Andie Sachs “her greatest disappointment.” Taken out of context, that comment fails to convey that Miranda actually has great respect for Andie’s humanity and character. Through the course of the film, she proves herself to be an extraordinary assistant but not in the way Miranda initially hoped.
RESTAURANT REVIEW Mmmm … Sandwiches
Inman Square is about a mile from MIT and home to an eclectic mix of shops and restaurants, including the appropriately named All Star Sandwich Bar. This small restaurant on the corner or Cambridge St. and Prospect St. is crammed with tables, and when I went on a Saturday at noon, those tables were filled with a variety of people. From pajama-clad college students to a distinguished older man, everyone loves sandwiches.
THEATER REVIEW A Lovely ‘Winter’s Tale’
Last week, the Cambridge University American Stage Tour returned to MIT to perform William Shakespeare’s <i>The Winter’s Tale</i>. CAST, comprised of Cambridge University students, tour the east coast of the United States during the month of September, performing a work of Shakespeare at a school, charity, community theater, and various universities. In addition, CAST holds workshops over the course of their trip. This year, CAST performed at MIT for three nights in Kresge Little Theatre.
CD Review New Foos Mix Loud and Light
The Foo Fighters are back with quite an interesting new album that will most likely cause mixed feelings throughout their rather broad fan base.
CD REVIEW Barcelona Debut Album Not ‘Absolute’
I like coffee. A lot. It’s great. Now that the year’s started, I seem to be drinking a lot more of it. More than I have over the last two weeks, anyway. Based on what I have written so far, you might think this an article about coffee. Hell no. It’s an album review.
The Best Shows of October 2007
You’ve made it through your first exams, enjoyed the year’s first Suicide Prevention Day, and tooled to your heart’s content — or at least tooled to your professor’s heart’s content. But something’s missing. You crave a break from the weird and angular buildings that grace Massachusetts Ave. and its surrounding areas. You seek reprieve from the barely audible but somehow grating hum of your forever-in-use laptop. You desire dark venues with flashing lights and attractive strangers who share your tastes in music. Well, kiddo, I’ve got your prescription — get out of your dormitory and see some live music this October! Your brain will thank you for the break.
Reggae, Big Band, and Ska — Oh My!
Two-tone era ska legend Dave Wakeling and the current rendition of touring band The English Beat headlined a horns extravaganza at The Middle East Downstairs concert venue last Thursday night. With exceptional reggae bands Destroy Babylon and Pressure Cooker opening the show, this was not a night to miss for any lovers of the genre.
BOOK READING Ethnic Considerations in Harvard Square
Last fall, I took a class in American Literature that read <i>Drown</i>, a collection of short stories by the Dominican writer, and MIT professor, Junot Díaz. I considered myself a pretty well read individual; said considerations generally rely on knowledge of, more than anything, names. I toted the titles of canonical heavyweights like Faulkner and Melville in classrooms, parties, and dorm rooms. A young Dominican-American author, whose debut work described life in both the Dominican Republic and immigrant America with enough fervor and sadness to knock the breath out of you, wasn’t really something I was accustomed to.
CONCERT REVIEW No Whistling on the Bus
Whistling banned in Clientele tour van,” it states on The Clientele’s MySpace page. The opening band can tease Peter Bjorn And John about the possibility of overexposure, but true backlash against this Swedish indie success story is hard to come by. Impressively, Peter Bjorn And John have been able to sustain universal critical acclaim almost a year since their breakthrough album, <i>Writer’s Block</i>, was released. The accolades are not undeserved; the songs on the album <i>are</i> that good. You may have heard one of them, “Young Folks,” the last time you were positively freakin’ <i>anywhere</i> this summer other than on a boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
RESTAURANT REVIEW Tavern Too Tame
After seeing Tavern in the Square in Central Square (on Massachusetts Ave. just past Prospect St.) multiple times over the course of the summer, I was finally able to visit the restaurant a few weeks ago.