Today's list is inspired by the new Comedy Central show "The Dangerfield Ambush
The Newhart Assault
The Chappelle Interdiction
The Seinfeld Maneuver
The Diller Siege
The Cosby Defense
The Rickles Attack
The Letterman Raid
The Dice Claykrieg
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Essay Fiesta tonight at the Book Cellar
Mar. 18, 2013
Tonight at 7 p.m. I will be reading a nonfiction essay at the Book Cellar (my favorite place to buy books, drink liquor [but not tonight of course, it's still Lent] and listen to great readings) as part of Essay Fiesta. Also reading tonight will be:- Writer Eric Bjorlin
- Actor and Storyteller Robyn Okrant
- Red Eye Columnist Stephen Markley
- Write Club OVERLORD Ian Belknap
Any proceeds from the reading benefit 826Chi. Learn more about Essay Fiesta and 826 here. Hope to see you!
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The Thea Goodman Interview
Mar. 15, 2013
Today I'm speaking with a Chicago author who is currently promoting her new novel The Sunshine When She's Gone, which is of interest to me because it's about a couple struggling to manage the ways their lives have turned upside-down since having a child (check) and what happens when one of them suddenly absconds with the baby to Barbados (a hypothetical check, because I would like to go to Barbados but maybe not with the baby.) Thea Goodman’s short stories have appeared in New England Review, Other Voices, Columbia, Confrontation and The Brooklyn Review among other journals. You can find out a lot more about her here.
Tell me about how you chose the book’s title. It’s evoking Bill Withers but not quite.
Pasta Madness: Round one
Mar. 13, 2013
On Sunday night my husband and I went out for Italian food. He ordered what he always does: rigatoni with meat sauce. Since I was having the kind of weekend where I didn't care about my physical health, I got linguine carbonara.
"Why do you always order rigatoni?" I asked Steve, and he gave me a very well-thought-out answer about rigatoni's ideal size, squishiness and the way the sauce gets inside the little tubes.
"What's your favorite pasta?" he asked me, and I realized I couldn't come up with an answer quickly. I love so many different kinds of pastas and I love pasta so much I could eat it directly from the boiling water with no sauce added. How to choose?
List: Creatures on the baby's clothes
Mar. 12, 2013
Monday: Dino
Tuesday: Monkey
Wednesday: Whale
Thursday: Bear
Friday: Other Dino
Saturday: Pierogi
Sunday: Dogs, then Monkey, then Lots of Teddy Bears (it was a messy day)
What animals are on your clothes? Tell me @Zulkey
What's in your purse?
Mar. 11, 2013
This is a popular women's blog topic that has always fascinated me. The things the average woman carries around in her purse says a lot about her. I tend to carry a gigantic tote bag with me that doubles as a black hole, so I figured I'd bare myself to the world and let you peek inside my purse to see what are "my essentials." Don't judge me! I haven't cleaned it out in awhile.
1. A witch
2. A cup from The Iowa Initiative to Reduce Unintended Pregnancies (gotta stay hydrated!)
3. A sexy math-pun-based thong
4. A candle (in case of a blackout)
5. A Harold Baines folder (my method for keeping track of all my Harold-Baines related paperwork)
6. A microplane, because I'm on this new diet where everything I eat needs to be zested
7.
The Teddy Wayne Interview
Mar. 8, 2013
I bet if an even younger version of Justin Bieber came along, everyone would be incredibly annoyed, but in fictional form he's poignant and sad, as written by today's interviewee, the author of The Love Song of Jonny Valentine. The novel examines the insular life of a little boy who has to grapple with the knowledge that the millions of people who love him have no idea who he his while coming of age as he's being raised by a tough mom-ager. Wayne is a frequent contributor to other publications (including The New Yorker) and is also the author of the novel Kapitoil. You can learn a lot more about him here.
How did you ensure a level of believability for an 11-year-old kid (aside from marketing speak?) What changes did you make throughout the process to make sure that it was accurate?
Come watch me get my hair cut live onstage
Mar. 6, 2013
So this is a new one: Thursday evening I will be interviewed while getting my hair cut live in front of an audience. It's Monique Madrid's show "B*tch, I'll Cut You" and I am the b in question this week. As I get snipped and interviewed, hilarious commentary will be provided by Kelsie Huff, Justin Kaufmann and Corey Rittmaster, plus enjoy a performance from She's Crafty, an all-female Beastie Boys tribute band. You can find out more here.
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