Au revoir, 2007

Taking a cue from Jeremy, who wrapped up '07 with a reflection on his favorite books, movies, and shows of the year (and who also called me a whiny baby for hating everyone), I offer you my wrap-up of the past 365 days of culture and consumption.

My favorite text-only book of the year is a tie between The Adventures of Augie March and Don Quixote. Sure, one could say that I'm just name dropping these because each is dense and I'm frontin', but that wouldn't be quite right. Each succeeded in transporting me to another place in another time. The imagery of depression-era Chicago and of 17th century Spain are forever imprinted on my brain; I envy the adventurous spirit of each protagonist.

In the graphic novel category, I'm backing Adrian Tomine's Shortcomings, even though I just read it New Year's Eve. I've been a fan of his artwork long before I knew his name, mainly due to a New Yorker cover he drew a few years ago (the one with the two subway riders reading the same book and catching each other's eyes through the windows of two stopped trains). The book was short but it was beautifully rendered and captured the intersection of personal and social problems. Plus, it was funny and endearing, a formula that I'm noticing more and more these days.

I saw a handful of movies and would like to give San Francisco the nod for being the setting for two of my favorites: Zodiac and The Times of Harvey Milk. SIFF also brought two Asian gems to my attention: the light-hearted, comic book inspired Dasepo Naughty Girls and the haunting documentary about the transformation of the landscape due to Chinese industry (i.e. making shit for Wal-Mart), Manufactured Landscapes.

In the recorded music category, Panda Bear's Person Pitch has been strangely delighful for months. Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew and Beirut's The Flying Club Cup have also been in heavy rotation since being released. All white boys, I know.

My live music attendance was down in '07 but I managed to catch both Explosions in the Sky and The Books at Neumos. Wilco made Redmond seem a little cooler and helped Austin remain hip this past fall. Broken Social Scene and My Morning Jacket were also outstanding. If I had only caught Mono at the Croc, before its demise, I would say that I was fufilled this year.

On stage I was wowed by the Tony-winning, Broadway production of Spring Awakening, on my first trip to NYC. Here at home, Young Frankenstein blew me away with the size and quality of the production (many people disliked this one but I'm new to the musical scene and I've never seen the movie). Gatz kept me in On the Boards for eight hours and was one of the most interesting productions I've ever seen.

In random staged events, Miranda July made my evening during Bumbershoot; the author and professor of environmental history, Matthew Klingle, inspired me in the basement of Elliott Bay. Michael Chabon was there too, earlier in the year, reading from his latest novel which I have yet to read.

I added my share of CO2 to atmosphere this past year with pretty extensive travel. Let's count the cities and countries I visited, in near-chronological order: Anaheim, CA, Spain, NYC, Honolulu, HI (twice), Texas (three times), Canada (by car), Chicago, IL, and Ft. Lauderdale, FL. I'm sorry, earth. Spain as a whole, NYC, and Chicago are at the top of my list while Honolulu and Ft. Lauderdale are at the bottom. I guess I don't like beaches?

A consumptive year indeed but pretty eclectic and mostly devoid of tv watching. Let's get on with 2008 and, mother earth, I'm trying to spend less time on airplanes, I promise. We're driving to Colorado in July instead of flying and the Prius is easier on you than a 737.