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Sundries

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel:
I try to avoid any book that I see people reading on the train. It's not so much a stance against popular culture as it is an egomaniacal need to feel above whatever it is others are interested in (I should probably take this up with a therapist sometime). When Susanna Clark's massive tome made its US debut, dozens of readers lugged it around for months. I wrote it off as an extension of the Harry Potter phenomenon and thought nothing more of it. A pity, really, as now that I'm lugging the book around myself, I find it quite engaging. With lots of characters, side-stores and footnotes (that go on for pages) Clark has crafted a pleasant world to get lost in.

A Young Adult Novel that I Cannot Mention:
A dear friend just signed a two book deal with a respected publisher. I was honered to read the first draft and offered lots of suggestions and notes. Fortunately, the book really is good. There's nothing worse than having to tell a friend that their book, band, artwork, poetry, or similar expression is . . . really great! No, really, you're totally talented!

I've been in that position more than once. It's hard to maintain a pleasant countenance when, deep down, you feel rather nauseous about the whole thing. This experience was pleasantly different. I'll plug it when it's actually in book stores. For now, I've been sworn to secrecy.

Chris Thomas King
In college, I spent countless hours listening to old, scratchy recordings of blues and folk music. I'd scores of albums, many of them from the amazing Smithsonian Folkways catalog. Sadly, in the days before albums were easily ripped to hard drive, I sold the entirety of my collection to (a very happy) used record store. I needed the cash to support an incredibly stupid relationship. Chris Thomas King, with his extraordinary rendition of the classics, has reunited me with the music that once meant so much to me. I've more or less forgotten about the girl.

His Name is Alive
Fuzzy, geek-synth, electronica from Michigan. With sexy vocals. I downloaded Detrola the other day but have yet to listen to it extensively. I think it's good, but it requires a certain situation (and headphones) to be properly appreciated.

Information Aesthetics
I've been on the job interview circuit for the last couple of months. In countless conversations I'm asked "What sites to you read regularly? Where do you draw inspiration?" The answer, inevitably, is Information Aesthetics. It's the sort of site that looks great to prospective employers and has the benefit of actually being a source of great inspiration.

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Sunday, December 31

ON THE BEAUTY OF MECHANICAL THINGS
Over the last few years I’ve gone through four DVD players. Made of plastic and a cheap electric motor, they don’t hold up well. I’m not hard on them either; I gently place a disc in the drive and hit play. Really, what more can one do with a DVD player? Still, some component or other eventually gives out and the whole device is shot.

I suspect it wouldn’t be difficult to repair a DVD player, but once they’re out of warranty it’s far more economical to simply buy a new one. I’ve tried tinkering with them on my own, but the effort involved in diagnosing the problem (when I don’t know what I’m doing) and ordering replacement parts isn’t economically viable. That’s why there aren’t any repair shops anymore. Everything is disposable.

And they’re ugly things these DVD players. Flimsy slabs that just lie there under the television. A far cry from the consumer technology of old.

I picked up a 1924 Remington portable typewriter this afternoon for a mere $5 (it’s finds like these that keep me combing the thrift stores). It’s one of the most elegant writing machines I’ve ever seen. A lever on the side simultaneously raises the type bars and lowers the keys slightly. It comes together almost organically. I’ve captured it, to some degree anyway, with the photos on the right.

The upshot of all this is that after more than 80 years it still works beautifully. Why don’t “they” make things like this anymore?

It’s my fault, I’m afraid. Yours too. The idea of paying more for something up front - the idea of paying for quality and durability - isn’t popular. No one thinks of a DVD player as a durable, long lasting item. Paying for quality feels like getting ripped off. Paying for a cheap cheap model several times over, however, has become acceptable.

Don’t misinterpret this rant as being anti-technology. I’m no Unabomber sympathizer. I have a blog and own three computers, after all. It’s just that our priorities have gotten a bit out of whack. There’s very little I own that I might be able to pass on to my children (if I’m so fortunate, etc). My father’s high school slide-rule, however, remains in perfect condition on my bookshelf (and no, I don’t have the slightest idea how to use it).

There are, of course, exceptions. Apple’s computers are fairly durable and well designed. While it will be charmingly obsolete in a few years, it’s possible this machine I’m using will still be around. And there are Leica cameras and swiss watches meant to last several lifetimes. But these are luxury items. While it’d be nice to have an $800 watch and/or a $5000 camera I can’t imagine being able to afford such things.

So I compensate by playing around with old typewriters and getting pissed off about the state of the world.