Decade's First Masterpiece
Adam Haslett began as a short story writer, a fact very much in evidence in this, his first novel. Clocking in at 304 pages, Union Atlantic will give no one eyestrain, with generous line spacing and margins. A cheaper publisher would have crammed the whole thing into 200 pages and saved money on paper.
So this is a novel, but it is not a long one. Which makes Haslett's achievement all the more remarkable, for Union Atlantic is positively symphonic in its ambitions. It contains the world! Rich and poor, black and white, gay and straight, high finance and common drudgery, war and peace, young and old and in-between. Two well-drawn main characters--next-door neighbors embroiled in a battle over, at root, the tearing down of trees--lead us out into a whole host of others, each given subtle shadings and motivations that ring true. A bank--and the entire financial system!--teeter quietly on the brink of oblivion, as do an old woman's sanity, a young man's sexuality, and an in-between man's understanding of why he is who he is.
Never preachy, never ripped-from-the-headlines, Union Atlantic still, somehow, captures a precise moment in time and preserves it. The run-up to yet another Middle East war, the crashing-down of the regulatory apparatus and near ruin of the economic system, the brand-new giant houses devoid of furniture or feeling--these give the novel heft even as its persuasive characters give it heart.
By chronicling, so concisely and yet so thoroughly, the perils and plagues and passions of the century's first decade, Haslett has crafted the first literary masterpiece of its second.
This is an Amazon Vine review, available here.
Showing posts with label Gay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gay. Show all posts
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Still Hanging
Well, the writers of As the World Turns are clever folk! They know that they've got their audience panting for Luke and Noah to finally--FINALLY!--have sex, and damned if they're not going to make us wait as long as humanly possible. It's got to happen soon; yesterday's episode pushed aside the last real impediment as Noah came home to Luke after considering enlisting. (I know, I know--how stupid!--but at least now we know Noah won't decide to join the Army at some point down the road.)
In the meantime, my friend Andy, who helped make the guys so popular in the first place by uploading their entire story to YouTube, made this video. Watch through the end for a little surprise...
Oh, and after months of toiling in other people's fields, I have one that I'm tending along with some of the coolest folks I've ever met: www.vanandjake.com. Stop by and see the ducks!
In the meantime, my friend Andy, who helped make the guys so popular in the first place by uploading their entire story to YouTube, made this video. Watch through the end for a little surprise...
Oh, and after months of toiling in other people's fields, I have one that I'm tending along with some of the coolest folks I've ever met: www.vanandjake.com. Stop by and see the ducks!
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Together Again
It's been a long, brutal month, but Thursday Luke and Noah will be reunited...by no less than Cyndi Lauper!
That's right--this Thursday, Cyndi Lauper will appear on As the World Turns to play fairy godmother to Luke and Noah. The show is promoting the hell out of her appearance, with a Web promo video and one on TV.
Tune in Thursday to see Luke and Noah kiss and declare their love for one another!
That's right--this Thursday, Cyndi Lauper will appear on As the World Turns to play fairy godmother to Luke and Noah. The show is promoting the hell out of her appearance, with a Web promo video and one on TV.
Tune in Thursday to see Luke and Noah kiss and declare their love for one another!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
I Made That!
Look, Luke and Noah kissed again!
I get a special sense of joy from this knowing that my bitching about the lack of kissing was one small part of a very large campaign to make this happen.
I get a special sense of joy from this knowing that my bitching about the lack of kissing was one small part of a very large campaign to make this happen.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Congratulations!
Report: DeGeneres, de Rossi plan to marry - Celebrities- msnbc.com
Ellen may not have had any direct hand in yesterday's ruling, but her bravery a decade ago certainly helped kick off the sea change in attitudes about gay relationships we've seen since.
I hope she throws the wedding of the year. She deserves it, and seeing it will help a lot of people understand why gay marriage matters.
Ellen may not have had any direct hand in yesterday's ruling, but her bravery a decade ago certainly helped kick off the sea change in attitudes about gay relationships we've seen since.
I hope she throws the wedding of the year. She deserves it, and seeing it will help a lot of people understand why gay marriage matters.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Tears of Joy
Gay marriage ban overturned in Calif. - msnbc.com
Funny how this doesn't seem quite as revolutionary as Massachusetts, and yet...it means just as much , maybe more.
And good news: "I respect the court's decision and as governor, I will uphold its ruling," said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in a statement. "Also, as I have said in the past, I will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this (ruling)."
Wow.
Funny how this doesn't seem quite as revolutionary as Massachusetts, and yet...it means just as much , maybe more.
And good news: "I respect the court's decision and as governor, I will uphold its ruling," said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in a statement. "Also, as I have said in the past, I will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this (ruling)."
Wow.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Monday, March 03, 2008
Nuke Monday
The AP article on Luke and Noah has exploded; it's suddenly everywhere!
Including the front page of FoxNews.com:
And the front page of USA Today's Life section (in the actual paper):
And even, finally, the front page of The Advocate's Web site:
Including the front page of FoxNews.com:
And the front page of USA Today's Life section (in the actual paper):
And even, finally, the front page of The Advocate's Web site:
Going Worldwide
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | US soap viewers demand gay kiss
People are reading about Luke and Noah in Britain this morning!
People are reading about Luke and Noah in Britain this morning!
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Let My People Kiss!
Unexpected protest at a soap - Yahoo! News
And then it was everywhere. The Associated Press has a story by David Bauder out this morning, and it's appearing on the Web sites of major newspapers, and a lot of smaller ones, across the country. Luke and Noah are everywhere!
EDIT: Including the New York Times, where the story has a better headline: Unexpected Soap Protest Favors Gay Kiss.
And then it was everywhere. The Associated Press has a story by David Bauder out this morning, and it's appearing on the Web sites of major newspapers, and a lot of smaller ones, across the country. Luke and Noah are everywhere!
EDIT: Including the New York Times, where the story has a better headline: Unexpected Soap Protest Favors Gay Kiss.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Keep It Coming
Their soap smooch made history. Fans ask: Will it happen again? - The Boston Globe
First the LA Times, then the New York Daily News. This morning readers in Boston woke to find Luke and Noah on the front page of their paper's arts section, accompanied by one of the hottest pictures ever committed to print:
The media blitz continues!
First the LA Times, then the New York Daily News. This morning readers in Boston woke to find Luke and Noah on the front page of their paper's arts section, accompanied by one of the hottest pictures ever committed to print:
The media blitz continues!
Friday, February 22, 2008
Round Two
Gay kiss is missed on soap
Well, readers in America's two largest cities will learn about Luke and Noah today. The New York Daily News has a piece on the couple and their lack of kissing this morning.
Who knew that if a bunch of people wrote to TV critics, those critics might write articles about the subjects of all those letters?
Well, readers in America's two largest cities will learn about Luke and Noah today. The New York Daily News has a piece on the couple and their lack of kissing this morning.
Who knew that if a bunch of people wrote to TV critics, those critics might write articles about the subjects of all those letters?
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Going National
Soap fans claim bias against gay characters - Los Angeles Times
Well, would you look at that! A journalist at a big paper has written about the Luke and Noah storyline!
Don't be surprised if this isn't the last you see about them...
Well, would you look at that! A journalist at a big paper has written about the Luke and Noah storyline!
Don't be surprised if this isn't the last you see about them...
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Gimme a Kiss
There are a lot of reasons to be outraged in the world, so I don't expect you to add this to your list. But on Thursday, for Valentine's Day, As the World Turns aired a special fantasy episode in which different couples on the show imagined how their lives might have played out if certain things had happened. In Luke and Noah's case, they imagined what would have happened if Noah had followed his father's wishes, enlisted in the Navy, and never met Noah.
Over the course of the episode, well...
Everyone kissed but them. As the video shows, they were about to kiss in "reality," but an extra walked by.
They have not kissed, on-screen, since September 26. At this point, the show has achieved quite a feat--it has managed to make its portrayal of an extremely romantic young gay couple seem homophobic.
If that strikes you as wrong, feel free to visit the Support Luke and Noah page to find out how you can help.
In the meantime, I've written a sequel to The Photo Shoot. It's called The Dressing Room. It may be the last part of this little tale...time will tell!
Over the course of the episode, well...
Everyone kissed but them. As the video shows, they were about to kiss in "reality," but an extra walked by.
They have not kissed, on-screen, since September 26. At this point, the show has achieved quite a feat--it has managed to make its portrayal of an extremely romantic young gay couple seem homophobic.
If that strikes you as wrong, feel free to visit the Support Luke and Noah page to find out how you can help.
In the meantime, I've written a sequel to The Photo Shoot. It's called The Dressing Room. It may be the last part of this little tale...time will tell!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Where My Mind Has Gone
rmn21879 - The Photo Shoot
Wondering where my head is at lately? Look above. Warning: real-person slash.
Wondering where my head is at lately? Look above. Warning: real-person slash.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
You Can't Show That On TV!
As long as I'm posting things today, I thought I'd share the video below. As you may or may not realize, the reason I haven't been blogging all that much is that I spend my online time helping keep the Luke and Noah Wiki up and running and chattering about daytime TV's first gay couple with others on a fan site that will remain nameless (to protect me from extreme embarrassment).
Well, that gay couple shared daytime's first gay kiss back in August, and a second in September, but now that they're boyfriends--as opposed to a gay guy and a guy who's struggling to accept who he is--they don't kiss anymore. So a bunch of us looked for screencaps of all the little moments of affection that have replaced the affection, and someone put them all together in this video. Enjoy!
Well, that gay couple shared daytime's first gay kiss back in August, and a second in September, but now that they're boyfriends--as opposed to a gay guy and a guy who's struggling to accept who he is--they don't kiss anymore. So a bunch of us looked for screencaps of all the little moments of affection that have replaced the affection, and someone put them all together in this video. Enjoy!
Friday, November 23, 2007
Juices Flowing
If you're not using an RSS reader yet and you've been checking around here occasionally expecting an update, my apologies. A man can only attend to so many things at once, and lately I've been busy at work, busy with school, and busy with my new obsession (see below).
Now, many of my old friends may be shocked and appalled to find me devoting so much time and energy to caring about a soap opera couple, taking up a role as an administrator on the Luke and Noah Wiki and posting thoughts on a fan site, VanHansis.net. Who am I, and what have I done with Richard?
Well, I've gotten him to write again, for one thing. The last time I wrote anything fictional I lived in a different state. But yesterday when I got out of the shower, I had a story fully formed in my mind. And today I wrote a second part to it.
The catch? These "stories" are actually screenplays for the Luke/Noah scenes for two episodes of As the World Turns. Inspired by a single line of spoiler for next week's shows that annoyed me, I built two days' worth of scenes that I think should happen next. Is this as creative as creating a tale out of whole cloth? No. I didn't have to invent characters or backstory or make people care--the people reading these scenes already care quite a bit.
But still, the rush! The feeling! It's as if parts of me that were dead or withered are being rejuvenated. I wrote an article about tai chi and how it can improve immunity for grad school the other week. It was fine; I wouldn't have been ashamed to see it in the local paper. But right in the middle of it there was this lyrical passage describing a tai chi class I attended. For five minutes, typing it, I felt like a different person. I remembered the joy putting words together can bring. I've been so slammed at work of late that I had quite forgotten.
Does this mean more blogging? Hard to say. I have a couple of Amazon products coming for review through Vine, though I don't post those reviews here if they're not interesting. (Do you really care that I think the Homedics quad-roller massage cushion with heat is nothing special?) But in the meantime, here are links to the two stories:
The Day After Thanksgiving
The Day After, Part Two
Happy Thanksgiving!
Now, many of my old friends may be shocked and appalled to find me devoting so much time and energy to caring about a soap opera couple, taking up a role as an administrator on the Luke and Noah Wiki and posting thoughts on a fan site, VanHansis.net. Who am I, and what have I done with Richard?
Well, I've gotten him to write again, for one thing. The last time I wrote anything fictional I lived in a different state. But yesterday when I got out of the shower, I had a story fully formed in my mind. And today I wrote a second part to it.
The catch? These "stories" are actually screenplays for the Luke/Noah scenes for two episodes of As the World Turns. Inspired by a single line of spoiler for next week's shows that annoyed me, I built two days' worth of scenes that I think should happen next. Is this as creative as creating a tale out of whole cloth? No. I didn't have to invent characters or backstory or make people care--the people reading these scenes already care quite a bit.
But still, the rush! The feeling! It's as if parts of me that were dead or withered are being rejuvenated. I wrote an article about tai chi and how it can improve immunity for grad school the other week. It was fine; I wouldn't have been ashamed to see it in the local paper. But right in the middle of it there was this lyrical passage describing a tai chi class I attended. For five minutes, typing it, I felt like a different person. I remembered the joy putting words together can bring. I've been so slammed at work of late that I had quite forgotten.
Does this mean more blogging? Hard to say. I have a couple of Amazon products coming for review through Vine, though I don't post those reviews here if they're not interesting. (Do you really care that I think the Homedics quad-roller massage cushion with heat is nothing special?) But in the meantime, here are links to the two stories:
The Day After Thanksgiving
The Day After, Part Two
Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, October 26, 2007
Dream Job
A Look Back at Jon Stewart's Greatest Gay Moments | AfterElton.com
The link above leads to a long article filled with clips from, as the headline says, the "greatest gay moments" on the Jon Stewart show. The banana episode is so funny even Stewart and then-correspondent Stephen Colbert can't control their laughter; I spent most of my time watching the collection in similar stitches.
The link also points to a larger theme of late. I've been realizing, while reading liveblogs of each new Nuke episode of As the World Turns, that AfterElton's team of writers and editors have one of my dream jobs.
I was contacted recently by the editor of a left-leaning publication, who said, "Saw your blog. I like the way you write. If you ever want to do anything for insert magazine here, give me a shout." Ever since, I've been pondering what I could write for this publication. But every topic I conceive is a better fit for AfterElton. Sure, I care about a lot of liberal causes--but I don't bring anything special to the table in writing about them.
But gays on television and in movies? Now that is something I know, something I care about. I've seen every Will & Grace, every Queer as Folk, every Six Feet Under, every Desperate Housewives, every Brothers & Sisters, every How I Met Your Mother (even before Neil Patrick Harris came out). I read The Advocate and Out. I have oodles of thoughts on what it means that Dumbledore is gay and the propriety of mentioning it after the books have all been published.
So, Michael Jensen, if you're reading, and you like what you see, give me a shout. Because you and your publication are living my dream.
UPDATE, 4:53: After I posted this, Michael went and posted something that sums up why I think the mission of his site is important (and thus why I would want to be a part of it):
The link above leads to a long article filled with clips from, as the headline says, the "greatest gay moments" on the Jon Stewart show. The banana episode is so funny even Stewart and then-correspondent Stephen Colbert can't control their laughter; I spent most of my time watching the collection in similar stitches.
The link also points to a larger theme of late. I've been realizing, while reading liveblogs of each new Nuke episode of As the World Turns, that AfterElton's team of writers and editors have one of my dream jobs.
I was contacted recently by the editor of a left-leaning publication, who said, "Saw your blog. I like the way you write. If you ever want to do anything for insert magazine here, give me a shout." Ever since, I've been pondering what I could write for this publication. But every topic I conceive is a better fit for AfterElton. Sure, I care about a lot of liberal causes--but I don't bring anything special to the table in writing about them.
But gays on television and in movies? Now that is something I know, something I care about. I've seen every Will & Grace, every Queer as Folk, every Six Feet Under, every Desperate Housewives, every Brothers & Sisters, every How I Met Your Mother (even before Neil Patrick Harris came out). I read The Advocate and Out. I have oodles of thoughts on what it means that Dumbledore is gay and the propriety of mentioning it after the books have all been published.
So, Michael Jensen, if you're reading, and you like what you see, give me a shout. Because you and your publication are living my dream.
UPDATE, 4:53: After I posted this, Michael went and posted something that sums up why I think the mission of his site is important (and thus why I would want to be a part of it):
BTW, Dennis Miller totally cracked me up when he commented, "I'm bored with people's sexuality. I don't care if Dumbledore is gay." Spoken like a straight man who can go to a movie any day and see straight people, can turn on the TV any night and see straight people, and can kiss his wife anywhere in the world without a second thought. Idiot.Exactly.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Nuke Won't Be Gone Long...We Hope
ATWT email blast oct issue copy.jpg
The suddenly large legion of Nuke fans (that's Luke and Noah of As the World Turns, for the uninitiated) seems to be white-knuckled with terror this morning that our favorite duo is headed for a long disappearance as Luke tries to overcome his temporarylisis. After yesterday's insane levels of cuteness, this would be a most unwelcome development! But with CBS suddenly offering nothing in the way of episode descriptions, and no more confirmed appearances this week, there's no way to know when we'll see our heroes again.
But the following image, from the October ATWT newsletter linked above, gives me hope:
As far as I can tell, we've never seen Luke and Noah in this pose (or these shirts) before. The image appears to be set at the Snyder farm...a logical spot for Luke to make his recovery, though the problems Lily and Holden are having will certainly complicate matters. Could Noah be comforting Luke about that? We'll find out. Hopefully soon.
The suddenly large legion of Nuke fans (that's Luke and Noah of As the World Turns, for the uninitiated) seems to be white-knuckled with terror this morning that our favorite duo is headed for a long disappearance as Luke tries to overcome his temporarylisis. After yesterday's insane levels of cuteness, this would be a most unwelcome development! But with CBS suddenly offering nothing in the way of episode descriptions, and no more confirmed appearances this week, there's no way to know when we'll see our heroes again.
But the following image, from the October ATWT newsletter linked above, gives me hope:
As far as I can tell, we've never seen Luke and Noah in this pose (or these shirts) before. The image appears to be set at the Snyder farm...a logical spot for Luke to make his recovery, though the problems Lily and Holden are having will certainly complicate matters. Could Noah be comforting Luke about that? We'll find out. Hopefully soon.
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