Five things that rocked my world this week.
Dark Score Stories
In December, A&E is going to air a miniseries based on the Stephen King book BAG OF BONES. To promote it, they’ve set up Dark Score Stories, a website that gives some background into the miniseries’ town and characters. Presented as a piece of fictional photojournalsim, I don’t know if it will do much to draw viewers. (Quite frankly, with King’s name attached, it doesn’t need to.) But it’s mesmerizing to look at. The images are gorgeous, haunting and, in some cases, downright creepy. As an added bonus, if you look closely, you’ll catch a few homages to other King works.
Yumbots
I was in the Chicago area last weekend for a few book signings. While browsing one of the stores in the city, I found these awesome robot-shaped cupcake molds. I bought a set for a friend of mine known for her cupcake-baking prowess, and I hope to be eating one shortly. If you’d like your own set of Yumbots, they can be ordered at Fred & Friends.
Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Latte
I don’t usually drink Starbucks. I’m a Dunkin’ Donuts guy through and through. But there are two times of the year when I frequent that ubiquitous java boutique known as Starbucks. The first is early fall, when their pumpkin spice latte hits stores. The second is right now, when they usher in the holiday season with peppermint mocha latte. It’s like Christmas in a cup.
WISHFUL DRINKING
Carrie Fisher has had a weird and wild life. Her famous parents’ marriage ended in scandal, she was Princess Leia, Paul Simon’s wife, an alcoholic, a drug addict and she still struggles with mental illness. Thankfully, she can find the humor in all of this. WISHFUL DRINKING, her memoir, is rowdy and funny and wonderfully written. Her hysterical lesson on Hollywood inbreeding alone makes the book worth reading.
Graceland
Hearing Fisher’s thoughts on Paul Simon made me go back and listen to one of his greatest albums, Graceland. Released in 1986, it blends Afro-centric beats and instruments with his usual melancholy, intelligent lyrics. The result is stunning. “You Can Call Me Al” was the album’s biggest hit, but my favorite is “The Boy in the Bubble,” which tries to make sense of a world that’s simultaneously try to improve and destroy itself.
