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Saluting Doctor Gonzo
A belated birthday shoutout to the godfather of drug-addled journalism and hero to writers everywhere, Hunter Stockton Thomspon (July 18, 1937 – Februarly 20, 2005). There’s little the Deconstruction can say about Hunter that hasn’t already been covered by the … Continue reading
Flash mobs: the birth of an electronic tribe
Could it be that YouTube, and all it stands for, is what Andy Warhol had in mind when he promised us all 15 minutes of future fame? Without a doubt, internet video holds out a tantalizing potential for stardom; a … Continue reading
If there’s an apocalypse, don’t blame the Mayans
One of the risks we run when we dabble in (or fully appropriate) the cultures of others, is a complete freaking misunderstanding. That’s what we have here, with the supposition that the world is going to end this December, on … Continue reading
Deconstructing Independence Day
What, exactly, does this holiday mean? Is it “sacred,” as so many patriots claim? Is it even possible, or proper, for a secular celebration of a long-ago separatist war to be called “sacred”? Certainly, the Fourth of July is understood … Continue reading
Update: Cthulhu still sleeps (for now)
It’s not a hard and fast rule, here at the Deconstruction; more of a rule of thumb. It goes like this: every six months or so, if you can’t think of anything else to write about, write about Cthulhu. Cthulhu … Continue reading
Leonardo fading
Am I rearranging the Titanic’s deckchairs, by fretting over the condition of a 500 year-old drawing? With all that’s at stake in contemporary society, does art conservation really matter all that much? Oh, but I’d argue: if our culture’s worth … Continue reading
Here come the viruses
Our language says a lot about us, doesn’t it? This is especially so for the language we consciously adopt to describe our evolving culture. So it’s particularly telling, I think, that we (“we” being the users, creators and squatters of … Continue reading
Hypocrisy all around
To call this, the U.S. presidential election cycle, the silly season, doesn’t at all do it justice. Because there’s nothing silly about naked hypocrisy and raw cynicism. On Friday, June 15th the Obama administration announced a change in policy at … Continue reading
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Tagged DREAM Act, immigration policy, Obama, politics, Romney, Rubio
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The hands of the artist, across time
This is art history, to a prehistoric degree. And it just may cause us to rethink whether art belongs to our species alone. A newly perfected uranium-thorium dating technique has drastically pushed back the dates of several European cave-painting sites, … Continue reading
Time for a giveaway!
It couldn’t be easier to score you some free swag! And by ‘swag,’ we mean signed, first edition copies of Voracious and Refrigerator Magnets. We’ll even spring for the postage! (and for that reason – sorry – U.S. and Canadian … Continue reading
Car Talk – end of an era (but a well-earned retirement)
The concept of “radio show” is almost an anachronism now. The golden age of radio is long past, and most of us turn to other media for long-form entertainment. But there’s a holdout, a happy anachronism, for me and millions … Continue reading
We don’t care if John Travolta is gay
There’s a sudden drumbeat, it seems, to out John Travolta as gay, promiscuous, even frighteningly aggressive when on the prowl. Although rumors about Travolta’s sexuality aren’t new–they go back decades, in fact–a strange new emphasis on the subject has appeared within … Continue reading
A fine art conundrum
Should art museums throughout the world be free to lend their collections, thus spreading culture and goodwill? And should victims of art theft, particularly those victimized through wartime plunder, be free to pursue the return of their property? For most … Continue reading
Pepys’ last post
May 31st marks a poignant if peculiar anniversary. For it was on this date in 1669 that Samuel Pepys stopped journaling. Pepys (pronounced “peeps”; go figure) was a British parliamentarian and Royal Navy administrator who is today best remembered for … Continue reading
Happy Memorial Day, and thanks to service members everywhere
We’ve started a tradition, over the last couple years, of dedicating this space on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, to service people in general – and in particular to a single soldier, sailor or airman, as a way of sharing … Continue reading
