153 | D.W. Young (The Booksellers)
My Summer Lair Chapter #153: What Are You Reading?
I’m surprised…it takes about 35 minutes for somebody to mention the smell. 35 minutes into The Booksellers a behind-the-scenes documentary set in New York City’s rare book scene and the fascinating people who inhabit that world. And the smell, of course, is that distinct bookstore smell.
That smell of papers and books and hope: it smells like home. Visiting a bookstore involves all the senses. That distinct smell.
I enjoy eavesdropping on the conversations……hearing the book debates and book recommendations between friends and lovers. Former lovers.
The organized sights shelf after shelf: the colours and covers. So much eye candy my eyes open wide trying to take it all in one giant gulp like a python.
The fragile books inviting a soft revered touch.
The fifth and final sense I haven’t acknowledged is taste. But ah when it comes to taste it’s up to you what you read. If you ever need book recommendations hit me up.
As you are about to hear this charming documentary is not a vintage-book hunt rather it is filled with dynamic characters as only New York City can offer. This is a documentary about the city as much as it is about readers and collectors and books. And science fiction and old school hip hop and that time Fran Lebowitz lent David Bowie a book. Now that…that is Modern Love.
To watch the documentary it depends on where ya are: are you a Canadian or an American? No matter where you live or who you are you can enjoy this trailer.
The Booksellers @ W • T • F
Host Sammy Younan
Recorded: Monday April 27, 2020 at Noon EST
Trailer Alert: The Booksellers
Sammy Younan
Girth Radio Presents…
You’d expect a documentary about New York City booksellers to be about chasing down a…I dunno say a first edition Charles Dickens or perhaps a Hoop Dreams style doc about wanting to become a rare book dealer. It’s neither. Instead what director D.W. Young offers is a sci-fi tangent via Henry Wessells whose book is A Conversation Larger Than the Universe: Readings in Science Fiction and the Fantastic (whew!) as well as a motivated search for early hip hop documents and magazines.
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#SetTheVCR: April 26-May 2, 2020
Sammy Younan
Girth Radio Presents…
Remember how Peter Parker told you with great power comes great responsibility? Well, it’s the same thing with tv ratings. Do you really wanna give Netflix’s Too Hot To Handle a second season or do you wanna use your power responsibility? If so then here’s some amazing and specular tv suggestions.
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Beastie Boys Story Is Our Story
New Book Alert: April 20-24, 2020
Jordan Ain’t No Joke Episode 1 (The Last Dance Podcast)
“Entering the 1997-98 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls had won 5 championships in the previous 7 years. But as they sought their second three-peat, the future of the dynasty was in doubt. As preparations began for the 1997-98 season, Jordan and the Bulls granted unprecedented access to a film crew for the entire year.”
As Jordan was preparing to conclude his time with the Bulls: 3 friends in Toronto were about to graduate from University. This is their story as seen through the ESPN/Netflix docu-series The Last Dance.
My Summer Lair host Sammy Younan hangs out with JT and DC to present Jordan Ain’t No Joke.
Jordan Ain’t No Joke Ep 1 covers Episodes I and II of The Last Dance.
Notable Quotable:
“Everyone has three lives: a public life, a private life and a secret life.” — Gabriel García Marquez
“I mean, at that point, Michael Jordan’s already the ultimate sports alpha male. I mean, the only comparisons I can recall being apt were to Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali. That’s it. That’s the list. There’s nobody else on it.” — Michael Wilbon
A Deep Three:
Jordan is drinking tequila according to this ESPN Article: Ramona Shelburne Confirmation…
1:00:
Introductions: The Ice Breaker
Q: What are some of your early Jordan memories? How did Michael Jeffrey Jordan come into your life?
9:30:
Q: Jerry Krause…villain or foil?
Dead Men Don’t Talk
13:40:
Q: Did you fully appreciate Pippen in real time?
That Pippen dunk on Ewing!!
28:32:
Q: Where do you hope to see the series go?
The Last Dance soundtrack
32:30:
Q: Jordan retired for 18 months…was that a trailer of post-Jordan life?
The Sam Smith Agenda
38:45:
Q: Did The Last Dance blow an opportunity for structure?
The Last Dense?
48:43:
Q: Would the Bulls (had they stayed together) won the lockout year (instead of the Spurs)?
Nick Anderson Tears
58:22:
Q: Do you consider Jordan mean?
Feelings Are Not Facts
1:02:25:
Q: Do the ends justify the means?
Bill Wennington has rings; Barkley and Stockton etc. do not. So…
JT’s Recommendations
Kobe Muse
Kobe Doin’ Work
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
Sammy’s Recommendations
Roland Lazenby’s NBA biographies:
Michael Jordan: The Life
Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant
Closing Jordan Rap Reference
“Psycho: I’m liable to go Michael, take your pick Jackson, Tyson, Jordan, Game 6
(Ball so hard) Got a broken clock…” Jay-Kanye: Niggas in Paris
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152 | Jesse Cook (Tempest 25)
My Summer Lair Chapter #152: Are You Ready To Dance?
Jesse Cook is magical. The way he makes a guitar Rattle and Burn is an impressive skill they can only be appreciated with your eyebrows up.
Jesse was all set to embark on Tempest 25 a spring tour celebrating 25 years since he released his debut album. Tempest was his attempt at making a musical career and life for himself. Instead of course due to the current pandemic, he is home and the tour is on hold like much of our lives. Bet when he released that album 25 years ago whatever he expected his life to be he never saw this unfolding.
So he’s working while he waits. This spacious conversation covers his globetrotting adventures, McDonald’s, Peter Gabriel as well his sonic discoveries once he started taking the unbeaten path and making what he terms is his “weird music.”
Oh and about Peter Gabriel? It turns out I am old; I don’t know why nobody told me this. The Peter Gabriel tour that I was talking about was 2002…the Still Growing Up tour. I didn’t realize it was that long ago it felt like only a couple years ago. I am old. Blind Boys of Alabama open for that show two fantastic performances all around. Here’s another:
