Entries in College (2)
Monkey Read, Monkey Review: The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To by DC Pierson
Rob Dean On Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 1:40PM DC Pierson's debut book, The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To, explores both the promise and pitfalls of insomnia along with the power and problems of imagination. Pierson's novel looks at the world of two high school outcasts, united through the fake worlds they create, who quickly find themselves in situations that are rapidly getting out of control. And while there's a lot of humor in Pierson's book - particularly in his (through the narrator, Darren) observations on human behavior - the book itself isn't just a lark: it's about regret, stupid drama, hormones, first experiences and finding out about who you really are - even when that answer isn't exactly to your liking. In short, it's about growing up.
Insomnia is a helluva thing. Your mind rattles on, refusing to let you slip away into the land of fantasy and confusion promised by falling asleep. And while you may find yourself pursuing some random tangent or another - like finding out everything you can about the long forgotten cartoon show Kissyfur - you rarely get up to anything really productive. You may read more, or watch more television or movies, but you're not working diligently on a cure for disease or a practical version of the flying car.
Music Memory Mondays: Radiohead, "True Love Waits"
Rob Dean On Monday, March 29, 2010 at 1:10PM Song: "True Love Waits" by Radiohead
Event: College. Yes, ALL of college.
"True Love Waits" was the perennial b-side for Radiohead fans. Performed live for many years, the achingly depressing song of a misspent existence wouldn't be officially released until the I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings EP in 2001. (Yes, nerds - it was available on various bonus discs in various other countries, but you know the point I'm trying to make) The song tends to be performed acoustically (as above) and is a much more stripped down number without all of the various production trickeries of Jonny Greenwood that Radiohead has employed since 1995's The Bends.
And when I hear the song, besides noting how heartbreakingly sad and perfect it is, I think of days full of naps, marijuana smoke, bullshit conversations and extensive philosophy readings. In short, I think of college.