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Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle by Chris Hedges
by Vince Hempsall, Sep 20, 2009
Are all Pulitzer Prize winners depressing? Not to say this well-researched book doesn’t reveal certain truths, but is North America really a total black hole of debauched revelry? I’m only 3 chapters in but already I’ve read about arenas of wrestling fans shouting, “Slut! Slut! Slut!” and an anatomy teacher who lives with 7 sex dolls…and treats them like real women. Have we completely given up a world of literacy and nuance for one of reality TV and trivial gossip? Stay tuned.
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
by Vince Hempsall, Sep 16, 2009
In my opinion, no other comic strip cartoonist has ever come close to touching the genius of Bill Watterson. I remember getting hooked on C&H as a newspaper delivery boy in Quebec in the ‘80s and I practically cried when Watterson walked away from the strip in 1995 after years of fighting against his syndicate for marketing rights. Frankly, I’m glad there aren’t any Hobbes dolls and Calvin beer bottle openers in the world. Just give me my three-volume, leather-bound set of brilliance.