Jim Shepard has written some pretty wonderful short stories. I laughed my ass off at "Creature from the Black Lagoon." It basically retells the story of the B-movie of the same title, except from the point of view of the creature. The monster comes off as being a world-weary intellectual who, despite the fine thoughts and yearnings he possesses, ( Read more... )

http://mnftiu.cc/mnftiu.cc/war33.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/26/travel/escapes/26BIRD.html?8hpib

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NPR sucks for taking Bob Edwards off morning edition. I feel like they're giving me decaf instead of my regular coffee.

I know the Magnetic Fields are often ironic, but I think All My Little Words is seriously one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful songs I've heard. Even with that line "Not for all North Carolina," which is sort of a throw-away, it just breaks my heart.

I feel happy today.

I won't forget this trip. The West is another country entirely, one that grows stranger and stranger the longer you travel there. I have a friend who collects paintings of the West, paintings that I have always considered somewhat corny, not so much in their style but content. The West has always seemed overdone to me. What I didn't realize was ( Read more... )

We went out for breakfast (on TJ) at the Great Harvest Bakery again, and again it was delicious. Guy had put his bike in the back of the truck so he could simply ride to school after breakfast, and Gem--I can't remember what she did. I think she walked home ( Read more... )

I don't recall whether we ate breakfast with Birch, but we said goodbye in the driveway. I was sad and felt bad because he's been bugging me to visit CO for years, and when I do, it's just for a two-night drive-through ( Read more... )

So, my Western journal ends there. Here's what I remember from the remaining days of the trip ( Read more... )

Woke early, packed up, showered, and drove to Cape Royal. What a stunning place to say farewell to the canyon ( Read more... )

Woke at dawn to watch the sun rise on the Grand Canyon. At the rim, we had to wait 1/2 hour past sunrise because of clouds, but it was well worth it ( Read more... )