What I Love Right Now: PIRATE TALK OR MERMALADE

I’ve seen boats as big as this whale. I’ve seen gryphons the same size, with teeth growing in even as they were taking their last breath.


My friends always know about the coolest things first. Better still, they are usually involved. Lauren directed me (and the rest of Twitter) to an excerpt of Terese Svoboda's newest novel, Pirate Talk or Mermalade. I read it and now, many minutes later, I am still sighing at the beauty of it.

Pirate Talk is a "novel in voices." It reads like poetry set to pirate-speak (like that option on Facebook). I was immediately reminded of Virginia Woolf's The Waves, another book that left me breathless. The excerpt, the dialogue-instead-of-narration, left out just enough to make me wonder what might be coming next. As if the word "mermalade" wasn't enough to pique my interest.

Pirate Talk or Mermalade comes out on Talk Like a Pirate Day. Read this book.

What I Love Right Now: Runaway Dorothy

Last Sunday, I saw Runaway Dorothy at Rockwood Music Hall on NYC's Lower East Side. Up front, I will say that I was completely blown away. I'd heard a few songs on their Myspace page, and Tweeted a bit at the lead singer, Dave, but I couldn't have possibly prepared myself for the experience of seeing them live.

Rockwood is a small venue--exactly what you would expect in New York. I got there right as Runaway Dorothy started playing, and there was one chair left that my friend and I used to hold our bags and coats. Runaway Dorothy's set, 45 minutes in one of the full days of music that Rockwood is known for. No cover except for a donation hat passed around for the guys, I promise the show is worth whatever you have to give, and more.

Before, and since, seeing Runaway Dorothy, I've told countless friends about the band. Add them on Facebook, buy their album on iTunes, and support some of the best music I've heard in a while. I mentioned on Twitter that the band's music tucks perfectly into a playlist featuring Ryan Adams, Willie Nelson, Patty Griffin, and Johnny Cash--this holds true for their live performance, as well. The melodies are simple, the lyrics are beautiful, and I became completely homesick for anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon. "Abilene" and "Caulfield" (link below) are two of my favorites. Runaway Dorothy are the most universal of local bands--walking the fine line between hip and homespun, and creating great music in the process.

Runaway Dorothy's next show is May 12 at NYU's Sullivan Hall. Come out and celebrate my birthday with some great music!

"Caulfield"--Runaway Dorothy

Check Runaway Dorothy out on Facebook and Myspace.

Photo credit: Jon Diaz