Actually, this entry should be entitled “One of the Five Books I’m Juggling Right Now, Books That Are Making a Mockery of My Pipsqueak Nightstand.” The others include: “Consider the Lobster and Other Essays” by David Foster Wallace (re-reading that one), “A Game of Thrones” by George R. R. Martin, “Awakening to the Sacred Within” by Lama Surya Das and “Marcel Duchamp: The Afternoon Interviews” by Calvin Tompkins. More on Duchamp later.

At any rate, I’m reading about Julius Knipl by Ben Katchor, born here in Brooklyn in 1951. As a student at Brooklyn College, he contributed to The Kingsman, BC’s student newspaper. He was also an early contributor to Art Spiegelman’s magazine RAW, which published cutting edge comics and writing from 1980 to 1991. Katchor has received both Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellowships. We’s written and designed for the stage. He won an Obie award, and he’s an Associate Professor at Parsons, The New School for Design in New York City.

In short, he’s an achiever.

And he writes and draws with good-heartedness and a deft touch. At least from what I’ve read so far. Like I said, I have a lot of books to juggle. That, and my eyes is killin’ me. I can only read so much these days. I need better glasses. Seriously. I have to spend some coin on something better than my 1.50 readers. My prescription is ready and waiting and magnet-ed up on the fridge as I write. Soon. Soon.