May 2002

I’m going to talk comics right now, and I hope that’s okay with everyone.

Berlin: City of Stones is the first collection of Jason Lutes’s excellent historic novel, Berlin. Set in Germany during the early rise of the Nazi party, Berlin follows a diverse cast through their lives, as they see and affect and react to the changes about them. Berlin is a human story, an adult story. If there’s a little child in you that’s begging to be spoonfed explosions and hero archetypes and rocket ships and cute robots, you don’t want Berlin. If, however, you like stories in which complex characters live in realistic settings and have emotions and reactions that you recognize in your own life, try Berlin.

Don’t let the “historic” in “historic novel” turn you off. Lutes is telling a story, not teaching a lesson. He’s chosen this backdrop, these people, this time to tell his story, but it doesn’t require advance understanding of the period. Just read.

I’m not the only person who thinks it’s worth your time, either. Check out reviews on Artbomb, the Stranger (a Seattle newsweekly), and Ninth Art; read Time Magazine’s choices for Best Comics of 2000, including Berlin; view sample pages on Amazon; or order directly from the publisher, Drawn and Quarterly.

It’s time to rename my blog, but I’m low on ideas.

Wow. My fame at Diddly.com is growing. I’m Mindmess #1 or something.

Go read.

I’ve finally gotten around to updating my resume. Now that I’m looking for jobs, I think that’s important, don’t you?

I’ve updated my writings page again. I’m sure it’s self-indulgent twaddle, but humor me.

I really haven’t updated in a while, have I? Finishing classwork, relaxing–finally–after a pretty full semester, and beginning to dig out of the landfill I jokingly call an apartment have left me pretty busy.

I’m pretty excited. I’ve finished the work required to complete my master’s degree. I dunno exactly when to expect the damned diploma, but I hope it’s soon. I didn’t go through graduation ceremonies; they’re far too impersonal here, even at the master’s level. I understand why the University can’t recognize every graduate by name–the ceremony would take weeks–but I’d rather not be a face in a crowd. If I get a Ph.D. or a professional degree, I’ll walk the carpet then.

The professor for my strategic intelligence class–he’s also the dean of my department–made a point of telling us he seldom gives A’s in his class. A B, he says, means you’ve met the standard set out for the course, so an A or an A- go only to work that exceeds the standard. I wasn’t expecting, then, anything above B+.

I got the grade today: A -. To quote my friend Kira, “Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” That’s me feeling happy.

So, otherwise, I’ve been relaxing. I’m reading now Haruki Murakami’s The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, which I think is excellent. Some reviews call it “dreamy” and “subtly disturbing” and I’d say those are valid comments. It moves slowly, but such a pace is perfect for this book. I wasn’t familiar with Murakami’s work, but I decided to dip in here after several people recommended his books on the various Web forums I frequent.

Although I’ve graduated, I’m taking one class through SLIS–a seminar covering intellectual freedom. I’m excited about this class. I respect the professor and I’m fascinated by the topic, as you might expect from someone who attended the Computers, Freedom, and Privacy conference. I’m more and more serious about pursuing work in this area eventually, but I need to think long and hard about how and where. Should I go to law school and study the legal aspects of intellectual freedom and privacy? Should I study political science or public affairs and look at policy issues in these areas? I think there are many opportunities and perhaps as many directions to take this, so I need to really think it over and seek good advice.

That’s all for now. My dinner just came out of the oven. I’m hoping to update the rest of my Web site soon, with new writings and pictures from San Francisco.