Casting Anchor

I can't even begin to explain, much less comprehend for myself, what a blur this year has been, owing entirely to the fact that we moved across the freaking country. Rather than going into any further discussion of that entire process, which is still unfolding (we've been living out of bags and boxes for four months, waiting to move into our condo on January 11th) I will just say that, for me, 2008 was sometimes awe-strikingly great, sometimes palpably awful, and most of the time bouncing off the walls directly in the middle. I don't want to be all heavy 'n shit, but basically my head has just been swimming for the past several weeks, trying to figure it all out. Moving is a crazy experience, and finally, in the coming weeks, we will settle in.


I have never been happier for a fresh start as I am this New Year's Eve.

I wish you, and all the people you care about, the very best in 2009.

Hanne Hukkelberg Cast Anchor mp3
from her debut album Little Things – download it at emusic.
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Setwise

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Mary Ellen Mark, pictured above in 1976 on the Philippines set of Apocalypse Now, has a new book out: Seen Behind the Scene (Phaidon Press) collects forty years of her on-set photography from a wide range of movies.

Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, Night Moves, 1973.

It would be too harsh and/or inaccurate to say that Mary Ellen Mark is the anti-Liebovitz, but I have to say that (predictably) I love the rawness of her work, and applied to celebrities, it provides a much more interesting perspective to me than high-concept Vanity Fair type stuff.

The cast of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Salem, Oregon, 1973.

More info at maryellenmark.com, or buy it here or at your favorite bookstore while supplies last.

Friendly Fire

We had a great trip to Idaho for Christmas, the highlight being a trip out to Emily's parents' farm, where it had snowed at least two feet over the previous week.

First on the agenda was making a bonfire. A huge burnpile had been waiting for us since we were last at the farm. Emily and her brother Drew lit some newspaper on the end of a pitchfork while their dad, Art, poured gas on the pile.

Drew walked toward it, threw the lit paper, and we all got a big surprise: the pile exploded as the top layer of leaves, hay, and pine needles blew off.



For the rest of the day we messed around in the snow, walked around the farm, and stood by the fire when we got cold.

When it got dark we went inside the cabin and had soup and coffee by the wood stove.
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Pictures of You

Check out The New York Times' website today for a great big slideshow, 2008: The Year in Pictures.

Above, top: In July, young members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints played outside their home in New Braunfels, Texas, three months after the breakaway Mormon sect's ranch in Eldorado, Texas, was raided by state authorities. (Photography Stephanie Sinclair/VII Network, for NYT.)
Bottom: In Harlem, 129th Street was closed to traffic one July day as part of a Police Athletic League program to let young people play in the streets. (Photography Chang W. Lee/NYT.)

The road to Lewiston & Clarkston, Idaho

Your Weekly Mr. Littlejeans

Meanwhile in Idaho

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with SprintSpeed

Vintage Vanguard

Paris Vogue is currently buying back issues from whoever's selling, replenishing the archives in preparation for its 90th anniversary. Looking at all the covers is a pretty great history of photography in an of itself. Photography critic Vince Aletti: “Fashion photography is what made me start collecting Vogue. I was interested in Penn and Avedon, so I started collecting their work in a way I could afford.” Read more here.

Above, Paris Vogue covers by Richard Avedon, Philippe Halsman, Franco Rubartelli, Henry Clarke, Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, Mario Sorrenti, Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin, David Sims, Mario Testino, Sam Haskins, Arthur Elgort, Satoshi Saikusa, Andy Warhol, Steven Klein and others.

Merry Christmas from Pacific Standard

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"The Little Drummer Boy" has always been my favorite Christmas song. When I was a kid, I promised to mow the lawn every week (or something like that…maybe every month) in exchange for MTV, and when we got it, I was super amped about all the videos, IRS' Cutting Edge, The Young Ones, etc. But this caught me by surprise:



Still gets me every time.

I'm in Idaho this week to spend Christmas with Emily's family, and there are a few posts in the hopper, but it's pretty much on auto-pilot till next week.

Thanks again for reading my blog, and I wish you the very best for the holidays.

Bing Crosby & David Bowie The Little Drummer Boy mp3

"She"

Untitled (Shirley Berman), ca.1964. Photography Wallce Berman

In the Times this morning, Randy Kennedy compares and contrasts the work of Richard Prince and lesser known artist Wallace Berman on the occasion of a new show pairing their work (January 15–March 8 at Michael Kohn Gallery in Los Angeles ). It's worth a read – click here.

Below, images from Semina, the zine Berman produced and sent to friends (ca.1955–1963)

When the Sun Hits

Clam chowder: the breakfast of champions

Alright. At first I thought it was all quaint and nice how Seattle shuts down in the snow, but after three housebound days, all of the beer is gone and we have some tough choices to make as we ration the remaining soup and other canned foods in the cupboard.

On the upside, our (okay, fine, somewhat self-imposed) confinement has given us a chance to catch up on some movies. Ironman: might be my favorite superhero movie of all time. The Strangers: creepy – very creepy – but not so much so that I am afraid of my own house, which is important when you're a shut-in. The winner so far, though? The life-affirming movie of the year: a little sleeper hit starring Danny McBride entitled The Foot Fist Way.



So that was pretty great, and if you haven't seen it, you should.

And now you'll have to excuse me, as it's just about time for lunch. Looks like peeled tomatoes…green beans…maybe some anchovies…

This is a recording

More of these, after a long break. Click to enlarge:










Click here (and then scroll down) to see more.