Category Archives: The Decline of Western Culture

Read. I Implore You.

30 June 2010 – 1:24 pm | By tlitchfo | Posted in Books, The Decline of Western Culture | Comments (0)

The Rest of the Story

Back at the end of September (!) I posted about my trip to Norfolk to find housing for our February move. I also hinted at another story at the end of the post. I think I’ve teased you long enough. Sean and I stayed with friends from the old neighborhood while we conducted our search. …

12 November 2009 – 8:36 am | By tlitchfo | Posted in The Decline of Western Culture, The Life and Times of a Navy Husband, Writing, Year of Liquidating | Comments (0)

You Want How Much for That Article?

So this afternoon I stumbled across the beginning of an essay by Jonathan Franzen that I really wanted to read in full. The academy as nursing home for terminally ill arts: better that the novel die with honor in the gutter than enter those gates, where candy-striped theorists will offer it the illusion of warmth …

7 July 2009 – 2:29 pm | By tlitchfo | Posted in Publishing, The Decline of Western Culture, Writing | Comments (0)

Washington Post Is Folding Its Book Review Section – NYTimes.com

Washington Post Is Folding Its Book Review Section – NYTimes.com. It continues.

2 February 2009 – 8:34 pm | By tlitchfo | Posted in Books, The Decline of Western Culture | Comments (0)

The Lost Years & Last Days of David Foster Wallace : Rolling Stone

The Lost Years & Last Days of David Foster Wallace : Rolling Stone This is a great piece on David Foster Wallace. It brings to light many aspects of his life I was unaware of, and there are great interview snippets I hadn’t read before (and I’ve read pretty much everything I could find on …

26 November 2008 – 3:12 pm | By tlitchfo | Posted in The Decline of Western Culture, Writing | Comments (0)

It Begins

Book Publisher Suspends New Acquisitions – NYTimes.com The publishing biz is in major trouble. I think the days of ‘big publishing’ by corporate media behemoths are coming to an end.

25 November 2008 – 9:48 am | By tlitchfo | Posted in Books, Publishing, The Decline of Western Culture | Comments (2)

It’s Cold in Newport

The wind off the harbor makes the 30-degree ambient temperature feel like 22 degrees, according to Weather.com. To us, out for our morning walk and not having a proper thermometer, it just felt shockingly cold. It’s only November, after all. Not yet Thanksgiving, even. The wisteria went from green to brown and leafless over night. …

20 November 2008 – 9:16 pm | By tlitchfo | Posted in Alcoholidays, The Decline of Western Culture, Writing, Year of Bliss | Comments (2)

Family? What Family?

I defy you to read this New York Times piece and not ask yourself why this woman wanted children in the first place. Be sure to read the original Craigslist post. I understand we are biologically driven to procreate, but why do we have kids so other people can raise them? Is this some stubborn …

2 September 2008 – 11:50 am | By tlitchfo | Posted in The Decline of Western Culture, The Mysteries of Everyday Life | Comments (0)

Are Hipsters Killing the West?

Adbusters thinks so. Their argument is that the current generation of hipster trash is trying to be rebellious without really rebelling against anything: not against war or capitalism or government or anything else. The sole motivation seems to be whether something is Cool or not. But Alex Payne sees things differently. His thesis is basically …

5 August 2008 – 7:33 am | By tlitchfo | Posted in The Decline of Western Culture | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Rewiring

It’s interesting how some of these posts take shape. I’ve been meaning to write about the cover story of this month’s issue of The Atlantic—‘Is Google Making Us Stoopid?’—since it came out, but I didn’t know what to actually say about it until now. John sent me a link to the Guardian’s books blog about …

11 July 2008 – 2:59 pm | By tlitchfo | Posted in Books, The Decline of Western Culture, Writing | Comments (0)