I was going to do a top ten kind of list for the year but realized that most of the things listed would be obvious. As such, I\u2019ll offer a few words on my year in reading and listening \u2013 a self-indulgent activity afforded by an already self-indulgent blog.<\/p>\n
There really couldn\u2019t have been a book atop my list that wasn\u2019t Infinite Jest<\/em>. I can\u2019t remember spending as long as I did reading a book in the past. A surreal year to read the book, the loss of DFW framed the last third of the book in a more profound, vivid lens through which to read the reflections on depression.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll also add that the graphic novel Robot Dreams<\/em><\/a>, though wordless and typically advertised for elementary and middle-school aged children was still one of the other books that made a big impression on me. Following along with the election politics in DMZ<\/em><\/a> was also a timely highlight throughout the year and the expected conclusion of Ex Machina<\/a><\/em> this year will be the anticipated comic highlight.<\/p>\n Lastly, as far as music for \u201908 goes the likely suspects would have rounded out any list I\u2019d have made: the Walkmen<\/a>, Jon Brion\u2019s score for Synecdoche, New York<\/a><\/em>, and that Lil Wayne album (no, not proud of this one) were played on a constant basis. However, perhaps the unsung hero of my \u201908 listening habits is Future Islands<\/a>: although the band made less than a blip in the press, their album, Wave Like Home<\/em> is the sea shanty anthem that I whole heatedly blast during my commute between the opposing shores of Manual Arts and the doctoral program. I also became a big proponent of all things King<\/a> Khan<\/a> and BBQ<\/a> and continued purchasing way more Acid Mothers Temple<\/a> and tropicalia<\/a> CDs than I could possibly have room for. Still waiting for the Tropical Revolution<\/a> to take hold here in Los Angeles. As far as \u201909 is concerned, the forthcoming Animal Collective album<\/a> is by far one of the best things I’d heard all year.<\/p>\n Next year should be a good one: I\u2019ve decided to participate in \u201cNational Reading 2666 Month\u201d<\/a> (I actually started the first volume while in the Bay, but probably won’t finish the final volume until Winter Quarter is over). There will be a new Geoff Dyer book<\/a>, a new text by Sir Ken Robinson<\/a> due any day now, an Ishiguro<\/a> collection, and more than enough grad school texts to get in the way of otherwise leisure reading.<\/p>\nTell people this is awesome:<\/h3>