3.28.2013

Easter Dinner, John Denver, Barbershop 'SexyBack'

Blue jay breakfast outside my grandparents' dining room.
That title feels slightly sacrilegious, but I'm going to blame that on trip fatigue and press on. Though I just got back from a short trip to help my grandpa celebrate his 92nd birthday, I wanted to get this out before Easter so you all know you're invited to my place for Easter dinner Sunday, in case you don't already have plans. (Well, those in the Bay Area are invited.) I'll provide ham, mashed potatoes, rolls and water. Salad, sides and other beverages I'm leaving to guests. ;) Bonus: While you're there, you can flip through my new copy of Beck's Songreader, which rewards the reader at every turn. (Stay tuned for details on a Songreader sight-reading party, which we hope to organize in May.)

Please come! I can't eat an 8 lb. ham all by myself. Some reading while you ponder that...

:: events ::

  • March 31 - Easter dinner at my house! 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. RSVP by Saturday.
  • April 4 - David Wilcox, one of my favorite songwriters, plays Freight and Salvage again
  • May 9 - Cloud Cult @ the Independent (Minnesota-based band whose latest album Love got "First Listen" treatment on NPR)
  • June 22 - She & Him @ the Greek
  • July 21 - David Byrne and St. Vincent @ the Fox
:: just awesome ::
  • I wasn't sure how to categorize this, but the fabric company Spoonflower provides the graphically inclined with some truly amazing possibilities. For example, D.I.Y. magazine napkins made from fabric printed with scans of old correspondence. A pattern designer whose book release I attended created a fabric with her book cover and the publisher's logo. She then used it to make small tote bags that were given away to attendees as party favors. You can also just buy fabric printed with existing designs on the site, such as the 800+ options tagged "steampunk," the 80+ "roller derby" designs or the 200+ "zombie" themed prints.
:: film ::
  • I'm not super knowledgeable about directors, but I do really like Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (the Kenneth Branagh-Emma Thompson film is one of the maybe six movies I own). Thus, I was intrigued to hear that Joss Whedon directed a new version, due for release this year, for which he also wrote the screenplay. The trailer looks pretty good (H/T: Jeff Overstreet, aka, @overstweet, the best Twitter handle I've seen).
:: visual art ::
:: tunes ::
:: your stuff ::
  • Laura's back from her writing "dream" trip to New York (the prize she won in a Poets & Writers contest). They've posted her write-up on their site: Crash course in writerly wisdom.
:: reading/food for thought ::
  • Charlie Peacock's Art House Blog published a wonderful piece on loneliness and love last week that draws on Christian Wiman, an album about an astronaut, Paul Tillich and many more. One of the best essays I've read in a while.
  • My literary agent also has a blog, which recently featured this thought-provoking post on writerly envy -- although I daresay it applies to other types of artists, too.
:: food ::
  • I've never prepared a seder in conjunction with Lenten/Easter celebrations, but this Indian chicken recipe (prepared by one cook in a small Jewish community in the city of Cochin) sounds really good. The accompanying story is a fascinating read in its own right.
  • Blair tipped me off to this story: Church groups are increasingly tapping the homebrew scene toward various ends: evangelism and fundraising, but also to rediscover church roots, enjoy their God-given creativity and more. What would Jesus brew?

No comments:

Post a Comment