8/4/19 review of the film Black Sun, directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara

Here is the link to my August 4, 2019, Twitter thread review of the film Black Sun, directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara.

Thank you for reading. Please enjoy.

9/30/16 review of the novel Lamb, by Bonnie Nadzam

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the novel Lamb, by Bonnie Nadzam.

The thread gives a summary of the novel's plot and some background on how I learned of the novel. It discusses my opinion's on the novel's style, as well as Nadzam's skill in writing scenes. It also discusses some of the structural and emotional aspects of the novel.

Here is the link to Penguin Random House's web page for the novel.

I bought this book at the Tattered Cover Book Store in Aspen Grove, Colorado.

5/1/16 review of book After the Quake, by Haruki Murakami

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the short story collection After the Quake, by Haruki Murakami.

The thread gives some background on the book. It gives the emotional background I brought to reading the book. It discusses the book's themes, tone, and characters, as well as my favorite stories.

Here is the link to the Penguin Random House page for After the Quake.

I bought this book at the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colorado.

4/25/16 review of Wind/Pinball: Two Novels, by Haruki Murakami

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of Wind/Pinball: Two Novels, by Haruki Murakami.

Wind/Pinball includes the novels Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973. My thread gives some background on and a summary of the novels. It discusses the form and style of the novels. It discusses the use of allegory in the works. And it discusses some of my favorite characters and scenes.

Here is the link to the Penguin Random House page for Wind/Pinball.

I bought this book at the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colorado.

4/17/16 review of Sunil Yapa novel Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the Sunil Yapa novel Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist.

The thread gives a summary of the plot and background on how I learned of the book. It discusses what I like about the structure, characters, character dynamics, and themes of the book.

Here is the link to the Lee Boudreaux Books web page for Your Hearts Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist.

I bought this novel at the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colorado.

3/31/16 review of An Artist of the Floating World, by Kazuo Ishiguro

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of An Artist of the Floating World, by Kazuo Ishiguro.

The thread gives a summary of the story. It discusses the form of the novel. It discusses the sense of suspense and being in the moment in the novel. It discusses some themes and ambiguities of the novel. And it discusses this specific version -- the Penguin Drop Caps version.

Here is the link to the Penguin Drop Caps page for the novel.

I bought this book at the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colorado.

2/14/16 review of the film Mystery Train, dir. by Jim Jarmusch

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the film Mystery Train, directed by Jim Jarmusch.

My Twitter thread includes a link to the trailer for the film. It gives some background on the screening, which was part of the Denver Film Society's monthly film screenings in partnership with the Tattered Cover Book Store. It gives some observations made by the screening's presenter, Howie Movshovitz. And it gives a couple of my own observations.

Here is the link to the Denver Film Society's Sie FilmCenter, where I saw the film.

And here is the link to the Tattered Cover Book Store, in Denver, Colorado.

1/3/16 review of Judith Butler's Notes Toward a Performative Theory of Assembly

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of Judith Butler's Notes Toward a Performative Theory of Assembly.

The thread gives a bit of background into how I learned about Judith Butler and Jean Baudrillard. It gives my opinion of Butler's philosophical style. It compares Butler's gender studies with the studies of public assembly that she illustrates in this book. It then gives a basic summary of the ideas Butler expresses in the book. It then outlines a number of different things I like about the book.

Here is the link to the Harvard University Press's page for Notes Toward a Performative Theory of Assembly.

I bought this book at the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colorado.

11/7/15 review of the book Women in Clothes

(Image source: https://www.womeninclothes.com/)

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the book Women in Clothes edited by Sheila Heti, Heidi Julavits, and Leanne Shapton.

My Twitter thread review discusses the context of Women in Clothes. It then gives some detail on the style and philosophy of the book. Since the book is essentially an anthology of creative work, I then discuss pieces in the book that I like. This includes work by Makiko Yamamoto, Cindy Sherman, Molly Ringwald, Monica Bill Barnes, Anna Bass, and Delia Marcus. The thread has a few pictures from the book.

Here is the link to the website for the book Women in Clothes.

I bought this book from the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colorado.

4/12/15 review of the book Safe Space by Christina B. Hanhardt

(Image source: https://www.dukeupress.edu/safe-space)

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the book Safe Space: Gay Neighborhood History and the Politics of Violence, by Christina B. Hanhardt.

My Twitter thread review of Safe Space unfortunately stays pretty shallow. It gives a very basic overview of what kind of history the book covers. It also ends with a kind of quaint opinion about how the LGBTQ movement is "becoming" intersectional. I was just then learning what intersectionality is all about. I was too self-centered to realize I was the one learning, not the LGBTQ community, which had already learned.

Here is a link to the Duke University Press page for Safe Space.

I bought this book from the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colorado.

12/21/14 review of book Outpost: Life on the Frontlines of American Diplomacy

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the book Outpost: Life on the Frontlines of American Diplomacy, by US Ambassador Christopher Hill. The thread also discusses a discussion between Ambassador Hill and Ryan Warner from Colorado Public Radio at the Tattered Cover Book Store.

My thread discusses some important lessons I learned from the book. It discusses Ambassador Hill's great stories and character observations. I also discuss some lessons about analysis, emotion, and being a public figure that I learned from Ambassador Hill's Tattered Cover talk, as well as some of my own reflections on Ambassador Hill's ideas.

Here is the link to the Simon & Schuster edition of Outpost.

I bought this book at the Tattered Cover Book Store in Colorado.

10/26/14 review of book Redeeming the Dream: The Case for Marriage Equality

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the book Redeeming the Dream: The Case for Marriage Equality, by David Boies and Theodore B. Olson.

My thread gives a quick summary of the story. I then discuss the arguments I liked from the book for marriage equality as a constitutional right. I discuss what I learned about legal processes from the book. I also discuss what the book taught me about court cases as a public conversation. I also discussed why I liked the first part of the book more than the second, though I appreciated the whole book.

Here is the link to the Penguin Random House edition of Redeeming the Dream.

I bought this book from the Tattered Cover Book Store in Colorado.

10/19/15 review of the book The Glass of Fashion, by Cecil Beaton

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the Rizzoli edition of Cecil Beaton's book The Glass of Fashion.

My Twitter thread review discusses the influence fashion photographer Cecil Beaton has had on my creative life. It discusses how the book surveys fashionable lives during Beaton's time: the style of the 20th century: Beaton's overarching lessons of fashion: Beaton's apparent aversion to industrialization, standardization, and conformity; and the beauty of the Rizzoli edition of the book.

Here is the link to Rizzoli's page for Cecil Beaton's The Glass of Fashion.

I got this book at the Tattered Cover Book Store, a great bookstore chain in Denver, Colorado.

10/13/15 review of book The Song Machine, by John Seabrook

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the book The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory, by John Seabrook.

The Song Machine follows the history of Cheiron Studios and its alumni, music producers who created many of the 21st century's top pop hits, including by the Backstreet Boys, Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears, Rihanna, and Katy Perry. My thread discusses themes such as manufactured music, personal stories, collaborations between artists and producers, some questions I had around K-pop, and some of the cool producers I learned about.

I bought this book at the Tattered Cover Book Store, a great bookstore chain in Denver, Colorado.

Here is W.W. Norton's page for The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory.

3/1/15 review of book The Tolerance Trap, by Suzanna Danuta Walters

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of Suzanna Danuta Walters's book The Tolerance Trap: How God, Genes, and Good Intentions are Sabotaging Gay Equality.

In my thread, I explore how the book compares tolerance, inclusion, and equality. I explore Walters's arguments against clinging too closely to genetics as a justification for gayness. I also explore how Walters's work examines patriarchy, heteronormativity, and bigotry.

Here is a link to the NYU Press edition of The Tolerance Trap.

Also, I bought this book at the Tattered Cover Book Store, a bookstore chain in the Denver metro area.

12/2/14 review of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of Armistead Maupin's novel Tales of the City.

My Twitter thread discusses the novel's interesting form, Maupin's great talent at storytelling, the novel's stylistic mash-up feel, and how I felt San Francisco 2014 compared with the San Francisco of Maupin's novel. I was pretty naive.

Here is a link to Tales of the City on Maupin's website.

I also bought this book from the Tattered Cover Book Store, a bookstore chain in the Denver metro area.

11/27/14 review of The Secret History of Wonder Woman, by Jill Lepore

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of The Secret History of Wonder Woman, by Jill Lepore.

Jill Lepore's book discusses the creator of Wonder Woman, William Moulton Marston. My thread discusses the connection between WM Marston and feminist leader Margaret Sanger; Marston's lovers and creative partners, Elizabeth Holloway and Olive Byrne; and the influence of fetish on the Wonder Woman stories.

Jill Lepore's book The Secret History of Wonder Woman was published by Penguin Random House. You can find the book here.

Also, I bought The Secret History of Wonder Woman at the Tattered Cover Book Store, a bookstore chain in the Denver metro area.

11/11/14 review of The Peripheral, by William Gibson

Here is a link to my Twitter thread review of the novel The Peripheral by William Gibson.

In my review, I compare The Peripheral to the film Blow-Up and The Matrix. I discuss some of the time travel and body-switching elements. I also wonder if sci-fi apocalypses are social corollaries for the crisis that precedes an individual's "hero's journey." This review also discusses Gibson's visit to the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver to promote The Peripheral.

Here is a link to The Peripheral on William Gibson's website.

Also, I bought The Peripheral at the Tattered Cover Book Store, a bookstore chain in the Denver metro area.

10/21/14 review of The Neon Jungle, by John D. MacDonald

Here is a link to my Twitter thread review of the novel The Neon Jungle, by John D. MacDonald.

My review thread gives a little context on MacDonald's novel. It also talks about the novel's relation to the Korean War and its themes of addiction. It also gives a little comparison to later MacDonald novels.

The edition of The Neon Jungle that I bought was from Penguin Random House. You can find it here.

I also bought MacDonald's book The Neon Jungle from the Tattered Cover Book Store, a bookstore chain in the Denver metro area.

10/19/2014 review of the novel Borderline, by Lawrence Block

Here is a link to my Twitter review of the Lawrence Block novel Borderline, which I posted on October 19, 2014.

In the review, I discuss Lawrence Block's story structure, his characters, the sexuality of some of the characters, the sex scenes of the book, some of my past Lawrence Block reads, and some of the influences Block has had on my own writing.

The edition of Borderline I read was from Hard Case Crime. You can find it here.

Also, I bought this book from the Tattered Cover Book Store, a great bookstore chain in the Denver, Colorado area.