Archive for the ‘Dissonance’ Category
In which The Gay Recluse feels vaguely nauseous. So OMG did everyone hear that Keith Olbermann had a “special comment” last night (or was it two nights ago, whenevs) about Prop 8 and gay marriage? Chances are, if you spent five seconds on the internet today, you did! We were told not only to watch […]
Filed under: Disease, Dissonance, Gay, Government, Language, Law, Pessimism, Politicians, Resignation, Stereotypes, Television, The Gay Recluse | 8 Comments
Tags: Fucking, Keith Olbermann, Love, Shells, Teevee, The Gays, The Straights
In which The Gay Recluse microblogs. Jeannette Winterson in The Times of London writes: If you believe, as I do, that there is such a thing as a creative continuum common to everyone, it is not difficult to believe that everyone benefits from exposure to, and participation in, creative endeavour. Capitalism has doomed most people […]
Filed under: Capitalism, Communism, Dissonance, Gay, Writers-British | 2 Comments
Tags: Art Is God, Edward Carpenter, God Is Art, Henry David Thoreau, Jeanette Winterson, Microblogging, The Times of London
In which The Gay Recluse cooks. Yesterday we went for a walk in the rain, in part because we wanted to check out what was happening uptown, and in part because none of the grocery stores around us carry the curly parsley that we needed for the lentil soup we planned to make. We’ve been […]
Filed under: City Pattern Project, Dissonance, Food, Gay, Health, Landscape, Longing, Memory, Nostalgia, Photography, Pleasure, Science, Search, The Autumn Garden, Washington Heights, Weather | 4 Comments
Tags: Cultural Revolution, Enbalmed Bread, Health Food, Lentil Soup, Recipes, Sugar Cereals, Uncle Jimmy
In which The Gay Recluse is appeased. So remember how the BBC invited us on their radio show and made it seem like we were some random caller and not The Gay Recluse? Well, they responded to our complaint with the following message: I’m sorry your blog wasn’t mentioned. I’ve added a link to your […]
Filed under: Dissonance, Faith, Language, Law, Letters, Longing, The Gay Recluse | 1 Comment
Tags: Apologies, BBC, Blog Wars, Sweet Linkage, Traffic Whoring
In which The Gay Recluse listens with admiration to the new record by The New Year. Recently we went to see The New Year in Williamsburg. It was a great show until we went back to our car and discovered that some frat boy asshole had broken off our side mirror on the car. Goodbye […]
Filed under: Brooklyn, Dissonance, Good Rock, History, Memory, Pessimism, Philosophers, Quotes, Resignation, Retail | Leave a Comment
Tags: Bedhead, CBGBs, Huysmans, Indie Rock, Kim's, Pascal, Rawk Criticism, Shows, Texas, The New York, Williamsburg
In which Zephyr takes over The Gay Recluse. Friends! What if the polls are wrong? What if the conspiracy theories are true? What are these strange places called Ohio, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Colorado and Virginia? And why does our fate rest in their hands? What happens on Wednesday morning if Barack Obama loses? Will we be […]
Filed under: Animals, Dissonance, Not Every Cat a Lolcat, Politicians, Resignation, Television | Leave a Comment
Tags: Conspiracies, Elections, Panic Attacks, Paul McCobb, Polls, Teevee, Worry, Zephyr
In which The Gay Recluse goes to Broadway. Ohai, so did anyone else see these crazy new storefronts in Washington Heights, on Broadway between 160 and 161? (We didn’t think so.) They went in a few weeks ago — during the middle of the night — and there’s still no signage or anything else to […]
Filed under: Architecture, Capitalism, Communism, Conspiracy, Dissonance, Dream, Fashion, New York City, Retail, Washington Heights | 9 Comments
Tags: Broadway, Brothels, Costume Jewelry, Installations, Questions, Storefronts, Uptown
In which The Gay Recluse is like, srsly, wtf? There’s really nothing we can say about Proposition 8 that hasn’t already been said, but we’re going to add our two cents anyway, just because it’s the right thing to do. (Oh and supposedly we’ll be eligible for a $50 gift certificate on Amazon.) Obvs there […]
Filed under: Capitalism, Communism, Competitions, Disease, Dissonance, Gay, Law, Pessimism, Sickness | 3 Comments
Tags: Bloggers, California, Fifty Dollars, Gift Certificates, Haters, Homophobia, John McCain, Proposition 8, Sarah Palin, Vote No on Prop 8
In which The Gay Recluse says wtf, dudebro? Although it’s not impossible to imagine a scenario in which a straight-guy literary critic does not expose himself as a moronic dudebro as he mocks other straight guys by writing 1) “Lev Grossman fellates Updike with a knowing look as Updike cradles his bald head in a […]
Filed under: Dissonance, Drivel, Gay, Quotes, Sickness, Stereotypes, The Gay Recluse, Writers-American | 2 Comments
Tags: Cocksuckers, Dudebros, Literary Critics, Post-gay, Rules, Straights
In which The Gay Recluse becomes increasingly obsessed with birds. Recently one of our oldest friends from high school got in touch. He moved to the city and found our address in the alumni directory. We haven’t seen him since our ten-year reunion, which was — ouch — twelve years ago. It’s strange how someone […]
Filed under: Animals, Architecture, Athletes, Competitions, Disease, Dissonance, GWB Project, Health, Longing, Memory, Resignation, Ruins | 2 Comments
Tags: Bastages, Birds, Demons, Friends, High school, Hockey, Junior Varsity, Varsity
In which The Gay Recluse is always late. This morning we reluctantly got out of bed at 7:15 am — instead of our usual 7:30 — so that we would have enough time to do everything we needed to do and catch the 8:20 train instead of the 8:30, because we had an important 9:00 […]
Filed under: Animals, Architecture, Dissonance, Fashion, GWB Project, Health, Obsession, Pessimism, Subway | 2 Comments
Tags: Breakfast, Cats, Delays, Floss, Mint Flavors, Pills, Procrastination, Rituals, Seagulls, Shower, Toothpaste
In which The Gay Recluse becomes increasingly obsessed with seagulls. Today we heard a story about a woman who used to work at one of our former employers. At the time, we barely knew “Nan.” She was older and had a severe haircut and wore monochromatic outfits that kind of screamed Midwest/suburban*: she was based […]
Filed under: Animals, Dissonance, GWB Project | 4 Comments
Tags: Candles, Cubicles, Nan, Seagulls
On Shade Flowers
In which The Gay Recluse enjoys shade plants. Recently we were reminded of a past obsession. There was a part of us that missed being young, filled with longing, even if — as we knew at the time — what we wanted was unattainable. But the greater part of us was relieved not to be […]
Filed under: Brooklyn, Capitalism, Dissonance, Health, Longing, Memory, Obsession, The Autumn Garden | Leave a Comment
Tags: Gardens, Japanese Anemones, Music, Past, Shade
On The Metropolis Case
In which Matthew Gallaway aka your local gay recluse gets a book deal. Eight or nine years ago, we decided to write a novel. It was actually our second attempt; the first one — a satirical look at internet start-up culture in the late 90s — we had retired to the desk drawer after sending […]
Filed under: Animals, Capitalism, Dissonance, Dream, Faith, Infrastructure, Landscape, Language, Literature, Weather, Writers-American | 15 Comments
Tags: Agents, Book Deals, Editors, Matt Gallaway, Matthew Gallaway, The Metropolis Case
On Dreams of Flowers
In which The Gay Recluse becomes increasingly obsessed with dreams. The years passed, and not always quickly. Many nights we dreamed of roses. When they finally arrived, we could not believe our luck! Then a question: what will we dream of now?
Filed under: Dissonance, Dream, Longing, Memory, The Autumn Garden | Leave a Comment
Tags: Dreams, Flowers, Rosed
In which The Gay Recluse becomes increasingly obsessed with the George Washington Bridge. An amber light descended on the rooftops of Washington Heights. Dark clouds loomed ominously overhead. Inside we read the news reports and — like everyone else we know — wondered what it means. Are we fucked? Or are we not fucked? Odd […]
Filed under: Architecture, Dissonance, Government, GWB Project, Longing, Obsession, Politicians | Leave a Comment
Tags: Financial Disasters, The Bailout, The George Washington Bridge, Wall Street
On the Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
In which The Gay Recluse loves Carson McCullers. Not long ago we finished reading The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, by Carson McCullers. Published in 1940, the book — as the jacket tells us — made McCullers (only 23 at the time!) a literary star. In the book, which is set in a small town […]
Filed under: Capitalism, Communism, Conspiracy, Dissonance, Literature, The Gay Recluse, Writers-American | 2 Comments
Tags: Carson McCullers, Gay Voice, John Huston, Marlon Brando, Reflections in a Golden Eye, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
On My Bloody Valentine
In which The Gay Recluse passes up the chance of a lifetime. Did you hear? Tonight My Bloody Valentine is playing at Roseland. They’ve always been one of our favorite bands. Loveless is a masterpiece; dissonant, propulsive and melodic, it changed rock, or least provided an important delineation. The way great pieces of art will […]
Filed under: Decay, Dissonance, Dream, Faith, Good Rock, Longing, Memory, Nostalgia | 1 Comment
Tags: Irving Plaza, Loveless, Mission of Burma, My Bloody Valentine, Reunions, Roseland
In which The Gay Recluse walks through the mist of a Sunday morning. Saturday nights can be particularly trying in Washington Heights. Especially now that it’s getting cool out, and you want to keep the windows open. But somehow a cool breeze at one in the morning just isn’t the same when it brings with […]
Filed under: Architecture, Capitalism, Communism, Conspiracy, Decay, Dissonance, History, Landscape, Pessimism, Resignation, Ruins, Search, The Gay Recluse, Washington Heights | 1 Comment
Tags: Cars, Columnar Pin Oaks, Day, Facades, Night, Noise, Stereos, Streets, Townhouses
The Gay Recluse 