Book review - Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned, by Wells Tower

There has got to be some level of self-fulfilling prophecy at work when you give a kid a name that simply sounds like they should be a notable person. Case in point is the author Wells Tower. You may or may not have heard of him, but the name instantly intrigued me when I first heard it. It sounds equally like it could be the name of a Louis L'Amour book or of a downtown skyscraper. I have seen Tower's name around here and there for years, but never really thought too much of it. I first read his work in Outside Magazine, where he is a contributor of various non-fiction pieces. I've been impressed with that work, but had not previously read any of his fiction, although it has appeared in well-respected publications such as Harper's and McSweeney's.

Over the last month or so, I've been making my way through his first book, a collection of short stories titled Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned. I don't often seek out short story collections, but having liked his previous magazine work, it seemed reasonable to give this one a try.

What I found was an extremely engaging set of short stories that take a wide range of perspectives and engage a number of topics. It's hard to summarize such a collection in any cohesive way, but the book literally ranges from teenage angst to Viking pillaging. Yes, you read that correctly. For what it's worth though, I found myself instantly drawn in to each story, no matter how different each is from the last.

Sometimes short stories have the tendency of not establishing any characters or theme early enough in the work and when you finish you don't know what you've got. With Tower's work, I often found myself wishing that each story were a full book. For that reason, I hope to see a full-length book from him in the near future, and I expect with his talent that it can't be too far away. Also, did I mention how cool I think his name is?

Book review - Lean on Pete, by Willy Vlautin

I don't spend a lot of time reviewing books, although in some cases, I try to give mention to authors that don't necessarily get as widespread attention as they deserve. In this case, it's as much about helping a musician in his second career as author as anything else. Willy Vlautin, who recently published his third book Lean on Pete, leads a double life as lead singer of the rock band Richmond Fontaine. I've seen the band play live once, and honestly have never really gotten into them, but I think more than anything, I respect the artistic output of Vlautin and try to support such artists when I'm able.

Lean on Pete follows 15 year-old Charley Thompson on a number of life-changing journeys. The story begins with Charley and his single father living in Portland, but progresses quickly as his search for employment finds him working for a racehorse owner, who owns, among other horses, a relatively successful racehorse named Lean on Pete. The story moves quickly and tends not to dwell on any one situation for an inordinate amount of time. Rather, I think the pace is very appropriate in depicting the actions and perceptions of a 15 year-old boy making decisions about situations well beyond his years.

Vlautin's writing tends to explore the lives of quite troubled individuals, and this book is no different. His previous books The Motel Life and Northline fit very well along with Lean on Pete, and none of them have an abundance of feel-good moments. The writing is clear and moves fast, such that you can probably finish the book in a day, and likely will want to as you follow Vlautin's troubled characters through plenty of tough spots in their lives.

When I saw Richmond Fontaine live about four years ago, Vlautin's first book had just come out, and he was still much better known for his music. However, in recent years his profile as an author seems to have increased a good deal and he appears to be moving forward with that endeavor with some reasonable success. I most definitely look forward to continued great work from Willy Vlautin.

Setting the bar for Denver's dives

When was the last time you went drinking like it was your job? Well, Drew Bixby has been doing just that throughout Denver for some time now, and as it turns out, it actually has been his job. His new book, Denver's Best Dive Bars: Drinking and Diving in the Mile High City, was recently released by Ig Publishing, in conjunction with Westword, following a series that has already covered Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, and New York City. How did Bixby end up getting called upon to do this job instead of say, you or me or one of the other 2.5 million people in the metro area? Well, I honestly have no idea, and I don't think he wants to let his secret out either.

You might know Bixby as the author of Westword's weekly "Drunk of the Week" column, covering his experiences at various bars across town, an assignment which no doubt provided him ample opportunity to research the book and maybe have a couple of beers on the company card as well. The book provides a short commentary on each bar, weaving relevant details (opening time, payment options, happy hours) into various anecdotes from at least the more memorable stops. Additionally, each bar is ranked on a scale from one beer bottle ("Your mother would be proud") to five beer bottles ("Your mother might be propositioned by a meth head"), indicating that if your favorite dive bar gets only one beer bottle, you probably also think the bar at Applebee's is worthy of dive status. A second scale, represented by between one and three ironic mustaches, indicates the likelihood of a hipster presence at the bar - quite an important factor to consider given that hipsters love the idea of hanging out with good old working class folk, but can subsequently destroy the ambiance they so crave when they show up in large numbers. While those with differing definitions of dive bars might disagree, it would seem that a rating of five beer bottles and one ironic mustache would indicate the most "divey" of dive bars. These are the type of bars where an "outsider" is anyone who shows up after 2 p.m. (and completely misses morning happy hour).

I am by no means an expert on Denver's dive bars, primarily because most of my excursions to the city involve music venues, which are largely excluded from the book. Nonetheless, Bixby does well to cover the large geographic area of Denver metro, sampling bars of all smells and sizes, from the mammoth honky-tonk Grizzly Rose to the hole-in-the-wall Lion's Lair. It would seem from the book's Web site/blog that Bixby will continue to chronicle new dive bars as he comes upon them, ideally with subsequent editions of the book to follow.

Toward the end of the book, it is quite surprising to find that a section was reserved for a number of Boulder dive bars, especially given the dirty looks one gets in Denver when you mention you live in Boulder. However, I expect this decision likely came down to economics and the publisher's desire to sell a few books in Boulder. None of the Boulder dives rate particularly high on the overall scale, but our most divey bar by a far stretch, the Outback, is still quite tame and in an entirely unseedy area. (It's in Boulder after all). However, it nonetheless gets credit for being the most un-Boulder of all the dive bars covered, which no doubt serves as its claim to fame. All in all, the descriptions are pretty spot-on, and the book maintains the proper "Boulder is too overrun with yuppies and trust fund hippies to be cool" attitude that any self respecting Denverite should espouse. In discussing Catacombs Bar's scrapping of its idea to change to an upscale martini bar, and rather just adding paint and raising prices, Bixby notes that the decision "rules and sucks simultaneously. Like Boulder." Can't argue with you there Drew.

Last year's book review - The Legend of Colton H. Bryant

I recently had the time to read The Legend of Colton H. Bryant, by Alexandra Fuller, which was released in 2008 (i.e., this review is of a book that came out last year, not a review that I did last year). I am a fan of both of Fuller's previous books -- Scribbling the Cat and Don't Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight -- that deal with the experiences of her childhood, namely of growing up White in southern Africa in what is now Zimbabwe. In fact, the almost complete departure from those books to her most recent is probably what took me so long to read The Legend of Colton H. Bryant.

If you are wondering to yourself, "hmm, have I ever heard of Colton H. Bryant? ...doesn't ring a bell," then don't despair, because you are not supposed to have heard of him. In fact, Bryant was a common working man that met an early demise (sorry for the spoiler, but you know it is coming, and it's probably better if you're ready for it anyway), and the book covers his life. To be perfectly honest, I am not sure what led Fuller to write about Bryant, as opposed to Jim the truck driver or Donna the waitress, but when you read the story, you'll understand that she did not take on the topic haphazardly or without understanding the real circumstances in the lives of those she writes about.

Having just read Jon Krakauer's new book about the life and death of Pat Tillman, I found an interesting contrast to Fuller's book. Krakauer covers the life of an American who already had fame and fortune, and eventually gave his life for his country in the war in Afghanistan. Bryant, on the contrary, was not famous, but I think that is what makes his story important. You may still wonder, what makes this story a "legend?" I don't know what Fuller would say, but in my viewpoint, I think the legend is that of the lifestyle of the American West, and more specifically, the roles of masculinity in that culture. Thus, Bryant's story is important because he is an "everyman," a humble man with dreams, who works for a meager existence and enjoys the small things in life. It is a story about a place where people still believe dreams can come true, but for one reason or another, most often because of poverty, many dreams are cut short. I was actually struck by this brief social commentary from Fuller:

It isn't just plain poverty--an ordinary lack of money--that keeps you on the wrong side of despair. It's a whole raft of poverties--a poverty of choice and a poverty of support and a poverty that comes with the certain knowledge that no one's going to take you seriously when you're invisibly decked out in an apron, working the night shift. (p. 112)

Given the relatively short length of the book, and the fact that it is quite a fast read, I won't give away too much more, but I will say that I found the book a very worthwhile story. On a personal note, it was also quite odd to know that the drilling company Bryant worked for is based in Snyder, TX, just 30 minutes or so from where I grew up. It is also sad to recognize how little of Patterson-UTI's profits make their way into the hands of those who risk the most. This book serves as yet another call to anyone who will listen that America's most dangerous jobs remain relatively unregulated in terms of workplace safety, and thus, we continue to lose disproportionate amounts of the young and poor who have no option but to turn to jobs like this. I don't think Fuller glamorizes Bryant beyond who he actually was, but it is so well written that it is easy to lose sight of the fact that his family and friends continue to live their lives just 3 1/2 short years since his death. Fuller's book serves to tell the American story that typically doesn't have the chance to be told - the story of workers with no sick leave and no benefits, little education and few chances of moving up the socioeconomic ladder. It is not a feel good story of the American Dream, but rather a story of real Americans choosing to live life to the fullest in spite of all that is against them.

(note: image from Alexandra Fuller's Web site)

Jon Krakauer reading - 09/17/09

Sometimes there are great things about living in Boulder and sometimes there are terrible things about living in Boulder, and sometimes those things happen at the same time. Case in point was an appearance by author Jon Krakauer, reading from his new book Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman, which was released this past Tuesday, 9/15. Clearly the great thing about this event that it was a reading by Boulder's own Jon Krakauer, an author whom I have great admiration for, but who doesn't do a ton of appearances anymore because he doesn't really have to if he doesn't want to.

The much much less great thing about this whole appearance was that the people that come out to something like this couldn't be more "Boulder." Denver and Fort Collins people know what I'm talking about already. An event like this really brings out the worst demographic in the city, at least in my estimation - the Boulder crazies, also known as your everyday Boulder resident. There's an excellent reason why there are no "Keep Boulder Weird" bumper stickers, and it is because the last normal people left a good 10 to 15 years ago. But I digress.

Krakauer's reading was good, although given that I had nearly finished the book by this time, the material wasn't new. However, recognizing many had already done this, he added a great deal of understanding to the context by providing pictures of the area in Afghanistan where Tillman was stationed, including the exact perch behind two long, but short boulders, where he was shot. Even with pictures, however, I'm convinced that a person cannot truly understand how undeveloped and tribal this part of the world really is. It's an area that exists completely absent of a national government, and I think that is something Westerners can't really comprehend by simply reading about it.

Following the reading, Krakauer was kind enough to spend a substantial amount of time answering questions, which ranged from ridiculous to actually pretty good. Through this Q&A, we were able to learn more about some the soldiers who were involved with Tillman in Afghanistan, as well as how Krakauer embedded with platoons there on more than one occasion to help him understand the situation. I think the crowd was most surprised that he had recently gone for a reading at West Point, especially given the fact that the book is quite critical of the handling of the U.S.'s two ongoing wars. However, Krakauer related that the cadets there are highly intelligent men who do not shy away from discussing difficult topics such as friendly fire and war policy. In his own words, he said (paraphrased) "West Point is truly an institution of higher learning; it's not like BYU." The most depressing part of the discussion was his assessment that, just like the Soviets in Afghanistan, there is truly no way to "win" this war, no matter what administration is in power.

The book signing session was really where the "Boulder" came out. It consisted of lots of people who considered themselves too white and upper class to wait in line, so they were the only ones who used the numbers on the backs of their tickets to cut in front of everyone else. Included among these people were those still wearing their bike shoes (yes, the ones that clip to the pedals), those whose clothes and hair are so trashy they couldn't be anything but Boulder rich, and those who were getting Krakauer to sign every single book of his they owned. I'm pretty sure some people may have even had him sign books that he didn't even write. Then there was the young hippie crowd, who mostly came through the line to have him sign their dog-eared paperback copies of Into the Wild. Did anyone else at this event get a death stare from the guy who had both arms in a sling? That was disturbing.

All in all, definitely a worthwhile event, but just unfortunate that so many normal Boulderites showed up. Having finished the book, I highly recommend it. Krakauer does not disappoint and thoroughly investigates every interesting direction that this story took. As clearly as he may have presented the story of Pat Tillman, he continues the fight to try to get the Army to release a number of details that they still have not answered for the Tillman family. While no more tragic than any other military death from these wars, the story of Tillman opens readers to a lot more information about the experience of the soldiers and the families that only a small percentage of Americans understand first hand. On a final note, Krakauer noted last night that he would match donations that night to Veterans Helping Veterans Now, a local organization that supports veterans as they return home and helps them with the various adjustments of returning to civilian life - an important thing for us to keep in mind. We unfortunately can't often affect the politics that surround war, but we can still support the people that suffer the worst consequences of those politics.

none of this just in

One final West Coast note:
I'm convinced that if you are looking for old country music vinyl, then the Bay Area is a great place to look. Not only are there a number of good stores like Rasputin and Amoeba in SF and Berkeley, but I am of the opinion that people just don't buy country vinyl there much, and so you've got a pretty good chance of finding some cool stuff.

Okay, one more final west coast note:
For all you vinyl collectors who have noticed, at least to a small extent, that record store owners are less pretentious these days now that they are on such a shoestring budget, never fear, I'm pretty sure the record store clerks in the bay area are just as pretentious as they ever were.

Just finished reading:
the new Dave Eggers book, Zeitoun. It is amazing! It's written in the style of What is the What? and I found myself flying through it because I just couldn't put it down.



















Didn't have a chance to write about it:
but I was able to catch one of the Lusitania's Denver shows a couple of weeks ago. All of my praises were backed up by their show. This band is really tight and their live shows are awesome. I hope they catch on up here, because all the show was lacking was a high energy packed house. By the way, Vinyl Collective is now carrying their 7" split with Buckeye.

Stumbled upon news:
that Alternative Tentacles is reissuing Secret South, a hard to find album by Denver's 16 Horsepower. If you don't have this album, you should strongly consider checking it out if for no other reason than to hear the cover of Dylan's "Nobody 'Cept You." The album will be reissued on LP and CD, each with a bonus DVD included. Vinyl originals of this album have gone on ebay for around $75 or more in recent years, so this reissue makes it a bit more accessible. However, it also leaves vinyl collectors to question whether they are bidding on an original or a reissue version on ebay, so for all it helps, there are some downsides as well. Also, I still can't decide whether it's worth it to buy reissue vinyl anyway.

I totally missed this:
but the recent Zach Galifianakis interview on the Tonight's Show was hilarious. He seemed much more in his element than when he was on Dave. I love Dave, but I felt like he was just going through the motions asking Zach questions and it wasn't very natural. Make sure and watch part 1 & part 2.

The Boulder Avett Brothers' show:
is now sold out. Let's hope we make it out alive.

I really enjoy:
telling people that if we ever have a son we're going to name him "Billiam," but call him "Will."