Thursday, November 18, 2010

The Petting Zoo by Jim Carroll

Jim Carroll has had his final work The Petting Zoo released. Cover art by Raymond Pettibon. More information here>>>>>>> JIM CARROLL

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Good article at Arthur Magazine.....

Douglas Rushkoff talks about his new book, the death of the publishing industry as we know it,  and the new ways for the better or worse which we will read books. Check it! ARTHUR MAGAZINE

Monday, September 13, 2010

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Book Friendzy! goes to Washington D.C.

Book Friendzy! went to Washington DC this week so Jason could get a cast put on a fractured wrist after getting hit by a car while bicycling in NYC. During the overnight stay at a hostel, Jason discovered what was available for travelers who were looking for a book to read.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Book Friendzy! meets "The Matisse Enthusiast"

Book Friendzy! had the pleasure of meeting "The Matisse Enthusiast" at the MOMA NYC while waiting for Morocco to begin. Enjoy!








Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Book Friendzy! on a Hot Summer Day in Brooklyn......

July 6th, 2010. Brooklyn,102 degrees. On a day of record breaking heat Book Friendzy! searches for the "real summer reader".

An Investigation of the NYPL...July 2010

Book Friendzy! searches the stacks of the New York Public Library for books and writers who have had excessive media scrutiny and exposure.

Book Friendzy! on the 4th of July

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Book Friendzy! T SHIRT


CONTACT ME if you would like one. $30.00

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Books of the Week

Peter Matthiessen I have been on a double header with Peter Matthiessen. I have been reading Sal Si Puedes and this weekend I found a hardbound copy of In The Spirit Of Crazy Horse.
I learned as the sun was coming up this morning that The Paris Review which Matthiessen was a founder of was financed by the C.I.A. Strange. Apparently Plimpton and Matthiessen were both recruited out of college...

Friday, June 4, 2010

Book Friendzy! in conversation with Lauren Child

During our visit to London in May we had the pleasure to sit down in conversation with author and artist Lauren Child. She is the the prolific creator of more than thirty books including the Charlie and Lola series, and the Clarice Bean novels. Please visit her fantastic website for more information! In part one of our discussion, Lauren talks about her beginnings as a writer and illustrator, and details her creative process. Enjoy!



Monday, May 31, 2010

Back In NYC editing/picnicing

I remember on this Memorial Day 2010, books I read in 2008/2009. Not pleasant reading to say the least but well worth the effort. Out of Gas: The End of the Age of Oil was an excellent fast read which gives the scientifically challenged an idea of what energy is and how it applies to us. It is written by David Goodstein, a Cal Tech Physics Professor. The Long Emergency by James Howard Kunstlerasks the reader to consider what the world will be like in the aftermath of peak oil. It is fascinating in its hypothesis, and if even a small portion of what the author predicts comes to pass, we are all in for a big uncomfortable change. Happy Memorial Day.




Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Book Week in NYC

it is Book Week in NYC....Look HERE for some events you might be interested in.................................!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

JG Ballard Millennium People


JG Ballard's Millennium People took place in the Chelsea Harbor area of London. I found the book in a charity shop in Peckham for a quid fifty, but left it behind for somebody else. I'll look for it in NYC. I ended up getting a tiny Penguin edition of A Season in Hell instead for twenty p.

Book Friendzy! in conversation with Alex Robbins

Alex Robbins was born in Northern California in 1978 - he now lives and works in London. In 2006 he received an MFA from Goldsmiths College. Since graduating he has participated in shows in the UK and abroad. Book Friendzy! visits with the artist in his East London studio. Enjoy.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Help the New York Library

The politicians have the NYPL in their sites to cut their budget... Why is there nobody who can do the right thing in politics? Go here to donate SAVE THE LIBRAY

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Book Friendzy! U.K. vol. 1

Yesterday Book Friendzy! was in The National Gallery drinking tea after a slow walk through the Charing Cross book shops. This chap looked a bit relaxed but had a book, so we decided to take a closer look.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Book Friendzy! in conversation with TinaMachina

Book Friendzy! caught up with photographer Tina Schula in the springtime park to find out what she has been reading....

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Monday, April 26, 2010

Book Friendzy! in conversation with Beverly Flannory

Book Friendzy! says congratulations to soon be F.I.T. design graduate Beverly Flannory who sat down with us and discussed the Brothers Grimm and reading on her iTouch which currently holds an astounding 23,000 books! Check out Beverly's blog here



Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Book Friendzy! in conversation with Ali Lee on Avenue A


To Hell With Culture

Book Friendzy! visits Film Noir Video in Greenpoint Brooklyn

I recently checked in with Will Malitek, owner and founder of Film Noir Video in Greenpoint Brooklyn. This is one of my favorite destinations in the neighborhood. A place to go to pick up a good film or record. One can also have a great conversation about arcane film subjects or musical genres such as psych, krautrock, or prog, in an enthusiastic unpretentious environment-a rarity in these parts! Enjoy....!



A Crack in the Cosmic Egg
Tapestry Of Delights

Monday, April 19, 2010

Book Friendzy! in conversation with Julian Gross

Book Friendzy! caught up with Julian Gross at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on sunday night after The Liars finished a set in support of their new album Sisterworld. Julian elaborates on the reading habits of a touring musician. Enjoy


Monday, April 12, 2010

Book Friendzy! in conversation with Mindy Ryu

Book Friendzy! in discussion with designer/art director Mindy Ryu at McGolrick Park in Greenpoint Brooklyn on a lovely spring sunday afternoon.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Alain gets Punk Picasso

Book Friendzy! offers ecstatic congratulations to Alain Levitt and Kama Geary on their recent marriage! I was with Alain last night when he opened a very nice wedding gift, Punk Picasso by Larry Clark.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Strugatsky Brothers

I have been searching for old copies of the works of the Strugatsky Brothers. The only copy of Roadside Picnic in the NYPL is available in the research library. For all who don't know, this is the book which would be made into the film "The Stalker" by
Andrei Tarkovsky



Book Friendzy! in conversation with Darren Bader

Last night I noticed artist Darren Bader carrying a book under his jacket as he was getting ready to leave Bacaro in downtown NYC. Here is our brief conversation.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Book Friendzy! in conversation with Andrew Kuo

Jason P. Grisell from Book Friendzy! has a streetside chat with artist Andrew Kuo on the subjects of books, sports, and writing. Enjoy!

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Pauline Oliveros

I had the opportunity last week to work with legendary composer Pauline Oliveros at Columbia University. I had a chat with her about books and what she has been reading.  Unfortunately I didn't have my video recorder during our conversation. Pauline said she hasn't had as much time as of late to read as much as she has in the past because of intense work commitments. She is an enthusiastic supporter of the Kindle, and one of the first that I have met since i have started this site. She is currently reading  Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, by Oliver Sacks, and highly recommends it.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Congratulations to Sherman Alexie

Sherman Alexie has won the 2010 PEN/Faulkner Award.

New Book 112th and Broadway-8:37 in the AM

This morning i picked up this collection on the recommendation of a street-seller on Broadway and 112th. This man had a strong take on the genre of sci-fi which i wish i had captured on video. Perhaps another time. His main point: "science fiction's function should be to question what effect does technology have on humans." Indeed.
Harlan Ellison

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Danzig's Library

Book Friendzy! with Peter Fonda

Book Friendzy! asks "The Easy Rider" Peter Fonda what he has been reading lately. Most importantly he tells us: "Don't stop reading"! Indeed....

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Saturday, March 13, 2010

William Gibson On the Art of Writing

>
I suspect I have spent just about exactly as much time actually writing as the average person my age has spent watching television, and that, as much as anything, may be the real secret here.
-William Gibson

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Birthday Books at Book Friendzy!

Book Friendzy! thanks his cherished friends for the biblio-birthday-gifts. Much love to you all!

Friday, March 5, 2010

J.G. Thirlwell on Book Friendzy!

Book Friendzy! with J.G. Thirlwell from jason p grisell on Vimeo.

La Peste-The Plague

I found this a few days ago uptown. I think it might be a perfect copy of The Plague. It looks as if rats have been eating it.

Sherman Alexie up for PEN/Faulkner


Book Friendzy! is rooting for Sherman Alexie in this years PEN/Faulkner award for the collection War Dances

Sherman Alexie … said he refused to allow his novels to be made available in digital form. He called the expensive reading devices ‘elitist’ and declared that when he saw a woman sitting on the plane with a Kindle on his flight to New York, ‘I wanted to hit her. “Why do you consider the Kindle ‘elitist’?”
Says Alexie, “I consider the Kindle elitist because it’s too expensive. I also consider it elitist because, right now, one company is making all the rules. I am also worried about Jeff Bezos’ comments about wanting to change the way we read books. That’s rather imperial. Having grown up poor, I’m also highly aware that there’s always a massive technology gap between rich and poor kids. I haven’t yet heard what Amazon plans to do about this potential technology gap. And that’s a vital question considering that Bezos wants to change the way we read books. How does he plan to change the way that poor kids read books? How does he plan to make sure that poor kids have access to the technology? Poor kids all over the country don’t have access to current textbooks, so will they have access to Kindle?”
In a posting on his website, meanwhile, Alexie notes that he has been innundated with email about his comments and says “While I still have serious qualms about the technology, I have been challenged and emotionally moved enough to take a long-requested meeting with the folks at Amazon and Kindle and listen to their arguments for the machines … I will do my best to enter the meeting with an open mind. And I definitely promise that I will not beat up anybody at Amazon or Kindle.”

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Semiotext(e)


SEMIOTEXT(e)
My dear friend Justin Luke has been recently reading one of their releases All The Kings Horses, by Michèle Bernstein.

Momus-Book of Jokes

I saw this recently over at the Strand and will be going back to pick it up. Momus has wrapped up his fine Click Opera Blog and can now be found online at his website

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

On Deck



Spike Jonze, Lance Bangs, John Hodges

Spike Jonze, Lance Bangs, John Hodges, talk Where the Wild Things Are, Tell Them Anything You Want, Maurice Sendak at Barnes and Noble Union Square NYC.



Monday, February 22, 2010

Todays Selections From the NYC Library

I have a library card and I like to use it.
NYPL

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Center For Fiction NYC


For all in NYC ...stop by and support the Center for Fiction at 17 East 47th Street. Check it!

A Journey Round My Skull


Thanks to Will Lockwood for pointing me towards this out of control blogg! A Journey Round My Skull....there is so much amazing stuff on here it makes my brain feel like a fucking raisin. WOW

The Hero As A Man of Letters


If we think of it, all that a university, or finest highest school can do for us, is still what the first school began doing, -teach us to read. We learn to read, in various languages, in various sciences; we learn the alphabet and letters of all manner of Books. But the place where we are to get knowledge, even theoretic knowledge, is the Books themselves! It depends on what we read, after all the manner of professors have done their best for us. The true University of these days is a collection of Books.
-Thomas Carlyle

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

More Non-Book Book Info


I just read an article about a new thing going on in Japan that isn't really new but it is officially named a movement by the media so ....check it!

Friday, February 5, 2010

The E-Book Saga continues



The e-book struggle for money continues. Read here
I wonder if maybe the e-book makers could put a book cover on the e-book? It would be like the vegetarian meat products...sort of looks like and tastes like meat, but it definitely isn't meat.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Book Thug Nation-Part 2


Book Friendzy! sits down in conversation with Corey Eastwood of Book Thug Nation.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Philip K Dick


"I am a fictionalizing philosopher, not a novelist; my novel & story-writing ability is employed as a means to formulate my perception. The core of my writing is not art but truth. Thus what I tell is the truth, yet I can do nothing to alleviate it, either by deed or explanation. Yet this seems somehow to help a certain kind of sensitive troubled person, for whom I speak. I think I understand the common ingredient in those whom my writing helps: they cannot or will not blunt their own intimations about the irrational, mysterious nature of reality, &, for them, my corpus is one long ratiocination regarding this inexplicable reality, an integration & presentation, analysis & response & personal history." -Philip K Dick