Sunday, September 23, 2012

Long Hard Book: Issa's Sunday Service, #136


If this doesn't work, click this:



Pavement is one of the great bands who the hipsters know, a band who went the independent route and, though without any mainstream success, certainly made life in the 90s more livable. The lead singer and creative force behind the band, Stephen Malkmus, still delivers the goods with his band the Jinks.

When it comes to Litrock, we are all staring down the spine of that one long hard book. This little chestnut may be the proverbial tough one to crack - there is more here than it may seem. Written by one of the great 20th century authors who is certainly not my cup of meat, the book is write under our noses.

So, identify the author and title of the "Long Hard Book" in the comments section below (first correct answer is the winner) and a free 6 issue subscription to Lilliput Review is yours.

By the way, the album from which "Long Hard Book" is Mirror Traffic, pictured above, is some fine work. If you like Pavement, you'll love this.  


Long Hard Book
   I can't see you through these wandering eyes
   I'm a one-trick pony and I can't survive
   See me flagging, something's wrong, you see
   Rope director, won't you bury me?
   There's a long hard book that needs reading
   So do what you must, but don't touch
   I'm ever so frightened
   Come around, baby, take a look
   No excuses for what you might do
   I'm seeing, lady, things you'll never know
   Run around, rabbit, won't you run run run?
   There's a long hard book that needs reading
   So do what you must, but don't touch
   I'm ever so silent


If this is your cup of tea, and there might not be all that many of you, then there is this, "All Over Gently," also from Mirror Traffic ...




-----------------------





first snow--
making a Buddha of you
is hard too
Issa
translated by David G. Lanoue





best,
Don 

Send a single haiku for the Wednesday Haiku feature. Here's how.

Go to the LitRock web site for a list of all 136 songs

8 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

Never heard of pavement. growing up in rural arkansas, we saw no bands or heard of no bands unless they were somehow mainstream.

Issa's Untidy Hut said...

Charles:

They were a big influence on Nirvana, who I think even made it to rural Arkansas ...

Anonymous said...

John Updike?

Issa's Untidy Hut said...

Updike, it is anonymous ... I just need the title and you got the 6 issues ...

Ed Baker said...

don't y'all mean

The Well Made Book
by
Daniel Berkeley Updike ?

Issa's Untidy Hut said...

Ed, now there's a thought, but, no, not this go round.

Ed Baker said...

well

was being "cute trying to make a phunnie...

however

just read Long Hard Book from the bottom up and then from the top down so doing straightened my "me" out... as ddidd the cpl of punctuation marks a comma or two and a question-mark

again, neet st'ff

both Pavement and Jinks .... new to me thanks.



Issa's Untidy Hut said...

Thanks, Ed. You're the best.