“How much longer am I going to do this? I don’t know. I *love* it, you see.” – Anthony Bourdain, ‘Kitchen Confidential’
But first, your reminder that Vine is finished! But still exists! Even in audiobook form! Read it if you haven’t!
Did you know that there are a lot of good books? Like mountains of truly excellent writing? Noirvember technically ended day before last week’s boxing, and I had one more detective novel that was going to bridge into a sci-fi novel by the same author. Life got in the way, and both of those had to wait. Instead, I finished something I deeply love, something that I’d spent a month or so reading chapters on the sly for WIP writing inspiration. So Noirvember gets a two-week extension.
What I’ve Been Reading This Week:
Is this book noir? Would this count for Noirvember? Of course it does. If boxing is “the red light district of sports,” as Joyce Carol Oates quoted someone as putting it, restaurant work is the red light district of work. If that metaphor actually works, idk. Anyway, knowing the author’s irrepressible nerdiness for all things hardboiled, he’d appreciate being included in Noirvember. I’m talking, of course, about Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.
Let’s start with what I love about this book: this is a capital-R-W Romantic Writer who is passionately devoted to their work. I love reading someone passionate about their work. Especially when their work is food, a thing I am also passionate about, but in a home cook, at-my-happiest-throwing-a-cookout kind of way. Do not doubt Bourdain’s writing, either: his prose absolutely sings, it’s somehow breezy and maximalist at the same time. I also think Bourdain and I are the same type of nerd. Just as Tony thinks it’s cool to do whole TV episodes as homages to movies he likes, so to do I have an affinity for punk rock and street food.
Regarding the more unpleasant aspects of this very turn-of-the-century memoir: well, yeah. Reading this book in a post-Trump, post-COVID world is jarring. Bourdain said later in life—especially as he was leaning hard into #MeToo crusading—that he regretted huge chunks of this book, especially glorifying the sexism and “locker room talk” of kitchens. I don’t know if he ever spoke on the glorification of 80-hour work days and demonization of calling in sick (I should say here I haven’t read any of his other books, though you know I will). Personally, I read Kitchen Confidential in 2010 and didn’t bat enough of an eye. Luckily, I’m a different person than I was in 2010—similarly strong opinions, but less interested in fighting about them. Hard-edged Bourdain is fun, but I’m glad he evolved. By extension, I’m glad the world’s a different place now. In our public discussions of both sexism and labor rights.
LINKS!
Something to listen to? How bout this delightfully endearing video of the suburbs, “Real Nice Moment” by KNOWER. Everything is produced by Louis Cole, of Thundercat’s “I Love Louis Cole” fame. I might love Louis Cole, too, I don’t know, haven’t done enough research.
First up, a bit of selfishness (don’t worry, I promise we get to really exciting stuff in a minute): I got a poem published! My dear friend Adrian Sobol is the editor-in-chief of kicking your ass, a new litmag/literary beatdown/literary complaint department. Adrian was nice enough to not only to publish an excerpt from my long poem “you will be more safe not in this place,” but interview me as well.
When I saw Suzan Palumbo had put together a Caribbean speculative fiction issue of Strange Horizons, I couldn’t wait to dive in. Life, of course, conspired against me, but here we are a little over a month later. Previous Shipwrecked Sailor Read O’ The Week Brandon O’Brien is here, with a title guaranteed to hook me in: “The Creature From The Black Lagoon Is Your Father.” Always suspected as much.
From that same issue, here’s Nadine Tomlinson’s “Sonnet For Birds.” A sonnet? And it’s for birds? And it features a hard-headed child not listening to the admonishments of their parents? Practically my diary.
Let’s move to short stories, here’s “I Attack The Queen!” by Sarah Ramdawar. Voicy flash, a punchy and irreverent dressing-down of a useless colonial figurehead. Who might have been an alien? Love it.
Okay okay okay you want something pretty magical? Check out “Brincando Charcos (Jumping Puddles)” by Ben Francisco. A choice quote, about the nerfarious men in blue: “They chase us because we didn’t just lie down and surrender when they first came. Because no matter what they do, we keep on existing.” Stencil it above my desk.
One more poem from Strange Horizons, here’s “Manman Ak Pitit” by Rachelle Saint Louis. This one grabbed me by the throat in the first stanza and didn’t let go until I too was ready to weep in the arms of my mother.
What’re you still doing here? Go read Vine! I mean, there aren’t any new chapters or anything, just, you know, if you haven’t yet. Also after you read my poem in kicking your ass. Also after you read the other stuff I linked to up there. Listen, I’m just reminding you Vine still exists.
If you work in the service industry, may your ass not be too kicked. In fact, maybe consider writing some poems for kicking your ass. What’s that quote from Working? Something about laboring with your hands being as noble as laboring with your mind? Eh, I’ll look it up later. May you clean up in tips this weekend.
Sorry you got an email,
Chris