2023 Favoritest Book Reads
Vineland - Pynchon, Thomas
Prophet - Blaché, Sin & Helen Macdonald
And the Ass Saw the Angel - Cave, Nick
Lou Reed: The King of New York - Hermes, Will
The Color of Magic (Discworld, #1; Rincewind, #1) - Pratchett, Terry
Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative - Kleon, Austin
Sonic Life: A Memoir - Moore, Thurston
The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, #1) - Jemisin, N.K.
Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law - Roach, Mary
Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too - Sun, Jonny
The Night Masquerade (Binti, #3) - Okorafor, Nnedi
Home (Binti, #2) - Okorafor, Nnedi
Binti: Sacred Fire (Binti, #1.5) - Okorafor, Nnedi
Binti (Binti, #1) - Okorafor, Nnedi
Black Paradox - Ito, Junji
David Bowie's Low (33 1/3) - Wilcken, Hugo
Faith, Hope and Carnage - Cave, Nick
The Sirens of Titan - Vonnegut Jr., Kurt
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth - Aslan, Reza
Smashed - Ito, Junji
Time Shelter - Gospodinov, Georgi
Brian Eno's Another Green World (33 1/3) - Dayal, Geeta
Armageddon in Retrospect - Vonnegut Jr., Kurt
Neverwhere (London Below, #1) - Gaiman, Neil
The Committed (The Sympathizer #2) - Nguyen, Viet Thanh
Into the Great Wide Open - Canty, Kevin
Mongrels - Jones, Stephen Graham
DisneyWar - Stewart, James B.
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex - Roach, Mary
The Left Hand of Darkness - Le Guin, Ursula K.
My Bloody Valentine's Loveless (33 1/3) - McGonigal, Mike
Suttree - McCarthy, Cormac
Life's Work: A Memoir - Milch, David
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - Schwab, V.E.
Against the Day - Pynchon, Thomas
Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood - Ryan, Maureen
Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA (33 1/3) - Himes, Geoffrey
La Moustache - Carrère, Emmanuel
Janelle Monáe’s The ArchAndroid (33 1/3) - Favreau, Alyssa
Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea - Pinsker, Sarah
The Man Without a Shadow - Oates, Joyce Carol
The City & the City - Miéville, China
Mem - Morrow, Bethany C.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind - Harari, Yuval Noah
Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs (33 1/3) - Eidelstein, Eric
Gutshot - Gray, Amelia
The Price of Time (Watch What You Wish For #1) - Tigner, Tim
The Revolution Was Televised: The Cops, Crooks, Slingers and Slayers Who Changed TV Drama Forever - Sepinwall, Alan
Just Kids - Smith, Patti
Sounds Like Titanic: A Memoir - Hindman, Jessica Chiccehitto
Flicker - Roszak, Theodore
Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers - Miller, James Andrew
Flashback - Simmons, Dan
Flaming Lips' Zaireeka (33 1/3) - Richardson, Mark
The Sympathizer (The Sympathizer #1) - Nguyen, Viet Thanh
Pavement's Wowee Zowee (33 1/3) - Charles, Bryan
Neuromancer (Sprawl, #1) - Gibson, William
Invisible Cities - Calvino, Italo
Don't Fear the Reaper (The Indian Lake Trilogy, #2) - Jones, Stephen Graham
The Wes Anderson Collection - Seitz, Matt Zoller
Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said - Dick, Philip K.
Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly (33 1/3) - Maner, Sequoia
The Nineties - Klosterman, Chuck
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow - Zevin, Gabrielle
Wanderlust: An Eccentric Explorer, an Epic Journey, a Lost Age - Mitenbuler, Reid
A Heart That Works - Delaney, Rob
Imago (Xenogenesis, #3) - Butler, Octavia E.
Cryptonomicon (Crypto, #1) - Stephenson, Neal
Blacktop Wasteland - Cosby, S.A.
Pearl Jam's Vs. (33 1/3) - Brownlee, Clint
Tracy Flick Can't Win - Perrotta, Tom
Devil House - Darnielle, John
Adulthood Rites (Xenogenesis, #2) - Butler, Octavia E.
Heat 2 - Mann, Michael & Meg Gardiner
Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures (33 1/3) - Ott, Chris
Dawn (Xenogenesis, #1) - Butler, Octavia E.
The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer - Stephenson, Neal
The Republic of Thieves (Gentleman Bastard, #3) - Lynch, Scott
The Year of the Flood (MaddAddam, #2) - Atwood, Margaret
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FILM INSPECTION: THE EARLY FILMS OF BETH B
by Emily Jenne, Institute of Fine Arts Conservation Center graduate student
Beth B, one of the most influential filmmakers to emerge from the generative chaos of the 1980s downtown scene, is known for her transgressive head-on confrontation of power structures and sexual politics. She formed the independent film production company B Movies (a play on low-budget films) with her partner Scott B, with whom she has worked over the years along with a panoply of collaborators, downtown luminaries such as Jack Smith, Arto Lindsay, Pat Place, John Lurie, Bill Rice, Gary Indiana, James Nares, Kiki Smith, Tom Otterness, Richard Edson, Vivienne Dick, James Russo, Richard Prince, Ann Magnuson, Jenny Holzer, Richard Kern, Kembra Pfahler, James Habacker, Dirty Martini, Thurston Moore, and Kai Eric (the list goes on). She is still active today, and her recent documentaries zero in on burlesque, no-wave provocateur Lydia Lunch, and the painter Ida Applebroog (who also happens to be Beth B’s mother).
Flyer for ‘Black Box’
As a longtime Beth B fan myself, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work on several of her early films as they entered NYU’s Special Collection (Beth B Papers, MSS.614; Scott and Beth B (B Movies) Records, MSS.622). This included: G Man (1978), Black Box (1979), The Trap Door (1981), Salvation (1987), Belladonna (1989), and Visiting Desire (1996), as well as a copy of Un Chant d’Amour (1950) the first and last film by French writer Jean Genet, famously banned for its explicit content. As a graduate student specializing in both time-based media and paper conservation at the Institute of Fine Arts NYU, I am often asked where these two seemingly disparate fields overlap. The work I’ve done at the Barbara Goldsmith Preservation & Conservation Department is an excellent example of the two working in tandem. The Beth B collection, for example, has both a media component (the films) and an accompanying paper element (posters and other ephemera).
‘The Deadly Art of Survival’ poster, photograph by Dawn Manokowski
Film preservation begins with an assessment logging current conditions and identifying the media, which will determine the best practices for storage. The first order of business is identifying the film base as cellulose nitrate, acetate, or polyester. The film gauges present in the Beth B collection, 16mm and Super 8mm, ruled out one possibility, cellulose nitrate which was never used as an 8mm or 16mm substrate in the West. From there, acetate and polyester could be distinguished using a very high-tech piece of equipment, 3D movie glasses. A pair of polarized 3D glasses folded in half at the nose can be used for a polarization test. When slid between the lenses, a polyester base will birefringe, acetate will not (birefringence is a phenomenon of optical anisotropy in certain materials that causes distinctive visual undulations at changing angles). In the end, all of the films were found to have an acetate base.
The film inspection bench in the Barbara Goldsmith Preservation & Conservation Department.
Further information about the film stock can be determined from clues in the edge code. Using a loupe and cross-referencing with an edge code chart, the year and even the location of manufacture can be established. The placement of a dot within the word ‘safety’ notes the location (acetate film base is known as ‘safety film’ in contrast to its highly reactive and flammable predecessor, cellulose nitrate). The film stock in the Beth B collection was manufactured in Rochester, NY.
Kodak edge code identifying Rochester, NY as the manufacturing location.
Eastman Kodak Date Code Chart
Information on the soundtrack format was also noted, the Super 8mm reversal films had a magnetic soundtrack, and the 16mm reversal films had a variable density optical track. Other relevant information was also recorded such as instances of surface abrasion, broken sprocket holes, number and character of splices, and any annotations on the head or tail leader (often instructions for the projectionist).
‘Salvation’ Print # 2
‘The Trap Door’ 8mm reel.
The major concern with acetate film base is deacetylation, an irreversible form of deterioration colloquially known as ‘vinegar syndrome’ for its distinctive acidic odor which can be detected at concentrations as low as 1 ppm. Deacetylation is essentially a reversal of the synthesis steps used to make the acetate base, and the reaction produces acetic acid which can also have a detrimental effect on the other component layers of the film. Acetic acid can soften the gelatin emulsion layer and accelerate fading of color dyes in color film. Deacetylation also leads to warpage, embrittlement, channeling, and shrinkage of the film base by as much as 10%. Shrinkage beyond 0.8% makes it dangerous to project the film.
Film shrinkage gauge.
Deacetylation is exacerbated by high humidity and fluctuations in temperature, but further damage can be mitigated with correct storage conditions. The industry standard for measuring the extent of deacetylation is with AD strips, a type of targeted litmus test, which measures acidity on a scale of 0 (blue, indicating no deterioration) to 3 (yellow, which indicates critical condition). In conjunction, multiple readings taken with a film shrinkage gauge can be used to determine the average shrinkage level of the film.
An 8mm film splicer in action.
‘Trap Door’ film reel storage case.
The films in the Beth B collection were found to be in generally good condition, and minor preservation interventions included the removal of tape residue and splicing of new labeled extensions onto the existing head and tail leader. The copy of Un Chant d’Amour, now upwards of 70 years old and suffering more from the effects of deacetylation in contrast the Beth B films, is a good reminder of the importance of consistent low humidity, low-temperature storage in prolonging the life of acetate-based films, just the kind that these films will receive in their new home at NYU.
Film Poster for ‘Lydia Lunch: The War is Never Over’
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On to Round 2!
This is a wrap-up of the current standings. Polls for round 2 will be published starting this Saturday (12/16).
Congratulations to all the counties that progressed!
The state that is standing the strongest is New York, with 39 counties progressing to round 2! Albany, Allegany, Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Jefferson, Kings, Livingston, Nassau, New York, Niagara, Oneida, Orange, Otsego, Putnam, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Schuyler, Steuben, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westchester, and Wyoming.
Next most powerful state is Virginia, which has 36 winning counties. Alleghany, Alleghany, Amherst, Augusta, Bedford, Brunswick, Caroline, Carroll, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Fairfax, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Gloucester, Goochland, Grayson, Halifax, Isle of Wight, James City, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lee, Louisa, Montgomery, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Prince Edward, Pulaski, Rockingham, Scott, Smyth, Southampton, Tazewell, Warren, and Wise.
Ohio is also standing strong with 27 advancing counties. Brown, Butler, Columbiana, Coshocton, Crawford, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Geauga, Holmes, Jackson, Lake, Lawrence, Licking, Madison, Mahoning, Medina, Mercer, Monroe, Muskingum, Perry, Pickaway, Ross, Scioto, Seneca, Trumbull, and Van Wert.
North Carolina is up next with a solid 24 wins. Beaufort, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Camden, Carteret, Craven, Currituck, Granville, Harnett, Henderson, Hoke, Jackson, Johnson, Lenoir, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Onslow, Person, Robeson, Tyrrell, and Wake.
Only 1 more state has over 20 counties that made won their match-ups and that's my wonderful Washington. Adams, Asotin, Chelan, Clallam, Cowlitz, Ferry, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, Yakima. Stay strong my soldiers.
A much higher number of states are comfortably in the middle of the pack. They are as follows:
Texas: 19 counties. Bosque, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Fort Bend, Goliad, Hockley, Jones, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Llano, McMullen, Milam, Ochiltree, Orange, Panola, Parker, San Patricio, and Travis.
California: 17 counties. Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Imperial, Lake, Mariposa, Monterey, Orange, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Tulare, Tuolumne, and Yolo.
Pennsylvania: 16 counties. Allegheny, Blair, Butler, Carbon, Dauphin, Franklin, Greene, Jefferson, Lancaster, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montgomery, Perry, Potter, Venango, and York.
Tennessee: 15 counties. Blount, Campbell, Carter, Cumberland, Hardin, Houston, Johnson, Knox, Madison, Maury, McNairy, Obion, Union, Williamson, and Wilson.
Nebraska: 13 counties. Adams, Buffalo, Cass, Cherry, Dakota, Keith, Knox, Nuckolls, Platte, Saunders, Stanton, Thayer, and Webster.
Nevada: 13 counties. Churchill, Clark, Douglas, Esmeralda, Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Pershing, Storey, Washoe, and White Pine.
Illinois: 12 counties. Cook, DeKalb, Franklin, Jasper, Kane, Marion, McDonough, McHenry, Morgan, Peoria, St Clair, and Winnebago.
Maryland: 12 counties. Anne Arundel, Calvert, Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Washington, and Worcester.
Michigan: 12 counties. Barry, Berrien, Clinton, Genesee, Gogebic, Kalamazoo, Lake, Oceana, Ottawa, Rocommon, Sanilac, and Wexford.
Iowa: 11 counties. Dickinson, Fayette, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Humboldt, Jefferson, Jones, Polk, Pottawattamie, and Wright.
Louisiana: 11 parishes. Ascension, Bossier, Cameron, Catahoula, Concordia, Jefferson, Lincoln, Natchitoches, St Bernard, St James, and St Tammany.
New Jersey: 11 counties. Bergen, Cumberland, Essex, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren.
Kentucky: 10 counties. Boone, Boyle, Breckinridge, Daviess, Leslie, Logan, Pike, Shelby, Trimble, Woodford.
Many of these poor cute states are barely hanging on. Please wish them luck.
Florida: 8 counties. Alachua, Bay, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okaloosa, Osceola, Palm Beach, and St Johns.
New Mexico: 8 counties. Colfax, Curry, Doña Ana, Lincoln, Mora, Otero, Roosevelt, and Socorro.
Georgia: 6 counties. Bartow, Cherokee, Floyd, Fulton, Pierce, and Rockdale.
Indiana: 6 counties. Benton, Elkhart, Jennings, Marion, Marshall, and Starke.
Minnesota: 6 counties. Aitkin, Clearwater, Hennepin, Hubbard, McLeod, and Pipestone.
Wisconsin: 6 counties. Calumet, Fond du Lac, Osaukee, Portage, Racine, and Sheboygan.
Wyoming: 6 counties. Big Horn, Converse, Lincoln, Natrona, Park, and Teton.
Missouri: 5 counties. Clay, Gentry, Greene, Newton, and St Louis.
South Carolina: 5 counties. Anderson, Calhoun, Dillon, Dorchester, and Lexington.
Utah: 5 counties. Beaver, Summit, Utah, Washington, and Wayne.
Alaska: 4 boroughs. Anchorage, Juneau, Matanuska-Susitna, and Wrangell.
Arkansas: 4 counties. Cross, Searcy, Washington, and White.
Colorado: 4 counties. Douglas, El Paso, Fremont, and La Plata.
Oklahoma: 4 counties. Bryan, Payne, Rogers, and Washington.
West Virginia: 4 counties. Fayette, Marion, Monongalia, and Roane.
Alabama: 3 counties. Bullock, Cleburne, and Mobile.
Arizona: 3 counties. Coconino, Maricopa, and Yavapai.
Maine: 3 counties. Androscoggin, Hancock, and Washington.
Idaho: 2 counties. Bannock and Bonner.
Kansas: 2 counties. Atchinson and Johnson.
Massachusetts: 2 counties. Barnstable and Berkshire.
Montana: 2 counties. Gallatin and Silver Bow.
North Dakota: 2 counties. Benson and LaMoure.
Some states only have 1 county that progressed. They are: Delaware (Kent County), Hawaii (Maui County), Mississippi (Adams County), New Hampshire (Hillsborough County), Oregon (Linn County), and South Dakota (Bennet County).
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In addition to all the winning counties above, there will be 83 new county flags folded into round 2!!! (Because of math reasoning this had to happen) Get hyped
They are as follows:
Alexander NC, Allen OH, Alpena MI, Alpena MI, Alpine CA, Arapahoe CO, Ashe NC, Avery NC, Baldwin AL, Baltimore MD, Bell KY, Benzie MI, Bernalillo NM, Black Hawk IA, Brevard FL, Camden NJ, Campbell WY, Canyon ID, Centre PA, Charles City VA, Cheatham TN, Chester PA, Clark WA, Clarke VA, Cleveland OK, Cochise AZ, Columbus NC, Coweta GA, Darke OH, Davidson NC, Elko NV, Erie PA, Florence SC, Garrett MD, Goshen WY, Greene VA, Grundy IL, Gwinnett GA, Hidalgo TX, Highland OH, Hocking OH, Holt NE, Hot Springs WY, Howard MD, Huntingdon PA, Ingham MI, Island WA, Kankakee IL, Lackawanna PA, Lawrence PA, Leelanau MI, Lehigh PA, Leon FL, Liberty TX, Lucas OH, Madera CA, Mahaska IA, Manitowoc WI, McLennan TX, Meigs OH, Milwaukee WI, Nashville and Davidson TN, Northumberland VA, Orleans NY, Page VA, Porter IN, Sacramento CA, Salt Lake UT, San Diego CA, Sangamon IL, Sevier TN, Shelby TN, Skamania WA, Spotsylvania VA, Stafford VA, Sussex VA, Terrell TX, Trinity CA, Tulsa OK, Tuscarawas OH, Ventura CA, Wahkiakum WA, Yuma AZ
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