Confessions of a Pop Fan

I'LL MAKE YOU A BELIEVER

In a turn of events I thought I'd never see, I actually liked a graphic novel by Jeffrey Brown, AEIOU : Any Easy Intimacy. So much so, I was compelled to review it for Amazon. Here is the meat of it:

"So, it's with no small surprise that I will now saw I really enjoyed ANY EASY INTIMACY. The emotion of this book clicked with me in ways I would have never expected. Brown tells a disjointed, autobiographical story of his relationship with Sophie, a somewhat neurotic graduate student. It's a warts-and-all confession, chronicling their ups and downs as a couple. With no substantial outside narration, there is no blame dropped at anyone's feet, only the reader's reaction to the characters' actions. One feels for Brown as he is repeatedly jerked around, but we also grow frustrated with his often inappropriate responses. Which isn't to say ANY EASY INTIMACY is some kind of downer. Things are good for the bulk of the book as Brown lovingly details the pair's idiosyncrasies and how their relationship is defined by the way those quirks fit together. It's romantic in its own odd way."

The rest is in the link. I'll reserve judgment on any future Jeffrey Brown publications until they are here, but this one, at least, is a winner.

Another current read: Salamander Dream by Hope Larson. The entire graphic novel was serialized online, but that shouldn't keep you from buying this sublimely illustrated dreamscape.

Back to work: Is it ironic that right now I am listening to Violator-era Depeche Mode to get in the mood for Have You Seen The Horizon Lately?, when for the most part I have bannded pop music from that book? It's being used in conjunction with tales of high school Percy, whose favorite band was Depeche Mode. My regular playlist for the book is a bit more melancholy and scattered across genres than usual. In fact, in keeping with my challenge to myself to not rely on my usual tricks, I bought a five-slab vinyl recording of Wagner's Parsifal as performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker on Deutsche Grammophon. But that's for later...

Current Soundtrack: Depeche Mode, "Personal Jesus" CDS

Current Mood: surprised