Slog

News & Arts

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Books Reading Tonight

Posted by Paul Constant on Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 10:12 AM

There are two newsy, serious book events tonight.

At Town Hall, Nina Hachigian reads from The Next American Century: How the U.S. Can Thrive as Other Powers Rise. I can't help picturing this event as a kind of group therapy session, with trust falls and storytelling sticks and a whole lot of crying and maybe some sweat lodge work. "It's okay to not be number one at everything. We can be good and other people can be good, too. There are lots of different ways to be great." And so on. We're still special, America! Just a little less special, is all. UPDATE: CANCELLED! Apologies to Town Hall and apologies to anyone planning on going to this due to my listing.

And at Elliott Bay Book company, Steve Fainaru reads from a book that Elliott Bay's website lists as Big Boy Rules: America's Fighting Mercenaries Fighting in Iraq. I was pretty excited about the rampant use of the word "Fighting" in the title. Unfortunately, it's a typo on Elliott Bay's part. The real title is Big Boy Rules: America's Mercenaries Fighting in Iraq. It seems much less interesting to me now. Also, I wish it was titled Big Boy Pants.

The full readings calendar, including the next week or so, is here.

Comments (3) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Nina Hachigian's trip to Seattle has been postponed, FYI!

http://www.elliottbaybook.com/events/dec…

She'll be around in the spring.

Posted by elizabeth on December 9, 2008 at 10:21 AM

If you weren't already opposed to the war in Iraq, listening to what this guy has to say about the lawlessness and nastiness of these organizations and the toll that their work takes on lives will persuade you. It's powerfully dreadful stuff and he expresses it eloquently. It'll also help convince you that Obama shouldn't puss out on the 18 month timetable.

Posted by Missliss on December 9, 2008 at 10:47 AM

I think that Big Boy Rules title is based on a line from that Brad Pitt movie about the IRA, The Devil's Own. Brad Pitt is is trying to make Harrison Ford feel better about a police shooting and he says something like, "You pick up a gun, sooner or later someone get shot; big boy rules." I think I remember the line because it seemed incongruously cutesy for what was supposed to be a serious moment of dialogue.

The book title has the same problem.

Posted by Judah on December 9, 2008 at 10:50 AM