Books

• A. R. Ammons, Garbage

For a project on garbage, maybe never to be finished.

• Karen Weiser, Or, the Ambiguities

Not sure that I loved this, but it’s nice that there’s still more to be mined from Pierre.

• Iris Murdoch, The Italian Girl

One of the slightest of Murdoch’s novels that I’ve read so far: a bit too happy to indulge in the Gothic.

• Jai Arun Ravine, The Romance of Siam: A Pocket Guide

I loaned this out before I could write something more substantial about this, and I kind of wish I hadn’t: this is one of the most thoughtful things I’ve read on the idea of Thailand and how that’s been received. Deserves more attention.

• John Ashbery, Breezeway

I had a panic that Ashbery was about to die and I went out and bought this, thinking I might not have another chance to buy one of his books while he was still alive. A little slighter than I wanted?

• Aleksandar Hemon, The Lazarus Project

I am confused why everyone gets excited about Dave Eggers and George Saunders when they could be getting about Hemon, who is better than either.

• Georges Simenon, The Late Monsieur Gallet, translated by Anthea Bell
• Georges Simenon, Teddy Bear, trans. John Clay
• Georges Simenon, Betty, trans. Alastair Hamilton

I like how simple these are: working my way through Simenon trying to come up with ideas.

• Jenny Diski, On Trying to Keep Still

I miss Jenny Diski’s writing, and I wish more of her books came my way: there’s the consolation of knowing that I haven’t read them all yet.

Films

• The Pink Panther, directed by Blake Edwards
• For Me and My Gal, dir. Busby Berkeley
• The Friends of Eddie Coyle, dir. Peter Yates
• Monkey Business, dir. Norman Z. McLeod
• Tod für fünf Stimmen (Gesualdo: Death for Five Voices), dir. Werner Herzog
• Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers, dir. Les Blank