Category > Pretentious Book Reviews
If you've heard of the philosophical theory of Absurdism, you may have run across Albert Camus. Often strung together with Existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, Camus rejected any connection with Sartre's theories, or that of Nihilism, in favor of the idea that man's quest for clarity and meaning within a disinterested universe was the ultimate absurdity. I would go on, but would it really matter?
In the classic era of the author, career paths for young writers did not stray far from a list of five or six possibilities. Their formative years were usually spent teaching, writing for a newspaper, witnessing the carnage of war as a soldier, sailing the high seas, performing odd jobs for food money or attending college as an independently wealthy upper-class twit. Before Gabriel García Márquez became an acclaimed author with a Nobel Prize, he was a perfectly respectable journalist. …
After parental complaints, Champaign’s Unit 4 School District recently compromised on allowing the reading of Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner in its sophomore honors English classes. Controversial books are usually the ones most worth reading. One of the books I remember having to read was The Scarlet Letter. I suppose it was as good a book as any, but I never finished it. Within the last few chapters I gave up and went through the motions until the end of …
Foreign film buffs may recall a 1966 black-and-white Norwegian drama named Hunger about a starving writer that talks to his shoes. It won a few awards in Europe, mostly for Best Actor. In 1890, critics hailed the book it was based on, Sult, as a groundbreaking masterpiece: the first instance of modernism in literature. It was Knut Hamsun’s first novel. His later and best-known work, Growth of the Soil, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1920. If it had …
There are many fifty-dollar words to be learned through reading above your intelligence level. During these times, it pays to have a dictionary close to hand. For example, meretricious means tawdrily attractive, as in, “I don’t usually go for girls carrying handcuffs, but you are especially meretricious.” Another fifty-dollar word worth knowing is the German schadenfreude. There’s no word for it in English, but it roughly translates to a feeling of happiness when someone else suffers a misfortune. A great …
In order to be liked and admired as a smart-ass, one must put in the time and effort: Step up your vocabulary, read more than one subtitle at a time, pick an author to loathe, pick one to love. The intent of this column is to put you on that path and to help you avoid the bear traps in the ditch. Step One: Get a Library Card. You Can’t Go Home Again Weighing in at 720 pages, this posthumous …
Most Recent Arts Comments
Local, I forgot to offer you a piece of sage advice. Don’t bag on 39 south because they represent your potential collector pool. Even though I haven’t lived in Champaign since 1997, 39 south is still the only arts entity that has promoted my work as an…
Lest 39 South feels picked on: Check this from the Urbana City Public Arts Program: “Calling all Champaign County Artists! We’re pleased to announce a Call for Entries for a new initiative called Murals on Glass, which will feature artwork reproduced in adhesive vinyl displayed on the…
You forgot Jonathon Fineberg was also personal pals with the Christo’s. I’ll agree that Dr. Fineberg has done a tremendous job communicating to undergrads why this stuff is important, but I won’t kiss the ring because he also contributed to the dismantling of crafts at the U…
And boom goes the dynamite.
I think the best and most exciting arts programming in Champaign-Urbana is at the Krannert Art Museum. The depth and quality of the museum’s permanent collection speaks highly to the intelligence of the art history faculty at the University. I have to say taking Art History with…
Another mystifying thing is 39 South touts the fact that when you consider all things that are considered “art”, i.e. music, exhibits, movies, performances, craft fairs, circuses, ect; art in Champaign County apparently generates $60 million dollars of “economic activity” every year, so says 39 South. And…
I have to agree, I’m a bit confused as to the purpose of 40 North, although I am aware that the organization is in a period of restructuring and re-examination. And yes, the “staff of 1” does work tirelessly to keep the operations afloat, but the fact…
“Making art accessible to everyone and cultivating the art and artists in Champaign County is 40 North’s main mission.” FACT: When the Urbana City Council proposed to form a new public arts council of its own in 2008, 39 South actually sent letters from board members Cody…
On behalf of the New Art Film Festival, I’d like to thank you for highlighting our event in this article. It is our pleasure to put together this showcase for the community and the recognition is highly appreciated by all of us involved in the NAFF. Also,…
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Most Recent Comments
Looking forward to trying this place!
I’m in the middle (or the beginning or end, depending on how you look at it) of re-reading Slaughterhouse Five. What a great companion column.
Get yours early. The Rave’s CD will be available at Exile and at The C-U Flea on Saturday. C-U Flea details here: http://www.smilepolitely.com/news/sp_radio_podcast_c-u_flea_arrives/
I don’t know about Gerard and a random police sargeant. My (mild) outrage is based on this: “...he worked closely with Champaign City Clerk Marilyn Banks to make sure he was licensed properly as a transient food peddler, filling out the necessary paperwork and paying a $225…
Local Yocal pretty much nails it here. I suspect there will be merchants who oppose food trucks because they arguably don’t pay their fair share to locate their trucks in high traffic (high rent) areas. The food trucks take away business from rent payers, park in city…
Oh nice! I’d totally vote for Matt Campbell!
“Smile Politely sports writer announces candidacy for city government.”
I also got to visit Big Grove Tavern during the soft open and definitely enjoyed the pork belly the most of all the dishes I sampled. The cheesy grits and the vinegary pickled vegetables were a perfect compliment to the rich pork belly.
The Alan Partridge lookalike on the right in the first small photo has nothing to condescend to anyone about. AH HA!
Snell and the little Hitlers of the neighborhood association need to chill out. Legitimate businesses should have the freedom to exist without having to endure the slings and arrows of ignorant and misguided opposition.
represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…
Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…
I think it’s neat that SP has turned rightward, now espousing a Tea Party-style frustration with government regulations & taxes.
This makes me so sad. (Happy to live in Urbana, though!) Crave Truck has been a GREAT addition to the food choices in C-U, and it’d be a travesty to chase them away. This town should be supporting small businesses. I’m glad to hear that they’ll still…
*slow. clap.* Still offering no threat of intelligence…. I know I said I thought you should just write this whole column yourself next year, Isaac, but now that you’ve gone and taken a “part deux” run at it, I’d like to modify my request: Best Music 2013,…
Actually, it’s kind of nice, the quiet. John Heoffleur’s engaging commentary/dialogue is sorely missed, however. In lieu of someone intelligent saying something, I’ve compiled a list of Honourable Mentions: BEST ROCK BAND: Take Care ::these gentlemen have four completely different sets at their disposal right now (which…
What? Echo! (Echo!) Where’s the dischord and dissent?
This weekend will mark the first appearance of Kayla Brown’s Fire Doll Candle booth at the Market. Check it: http://www.facebook.com/firedollcandles
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Thanks for the sage advice Mary Anna, but I’m long done with the sucking up and being thankful for the scraps. The most important thing an artist can do to live with yourself is tell the emperor he’s got no clothes, and spray paint something on his…