Better Than Food

Good evening friends! The worst of the summer heat is behind us. Looking forward to our first Fall in the desert. Nothing big to report - running around setting up bookshelves and unboxing. Wishing you a nice labor day weekend, and thank you very much for your continued support. Book to read: Gonzo

A discussion of meditation, guitar heroes, books that change you, and Bataille. August 2026 Patron-Only AMA (YouTube)

Good evening everyone, how ya doin? We lost some great ones this week didn't we. Wishing you a nice Friday and weekend nonetheless, thank you very much for your continued support, and hope all is well. Book to Read: Marshland by Otohiko Kaga (Paid Link) A postwar Japan story about an auto mechanic w

A heavy yet surprisingly humorous tale of men and horses in Northern Mexico. Cormac McCarthy - All the Pretty Horses (The Border Trilogy #1) BOOK REVIEW (YouTube)

Hi there everyone, hope this finds you well. Just shot the review for All the Pretty Horses, coming your way soon. Had an enormous dramatic dust storm followed by thunder and lightning the other night. Never a dull moment. Thank you very much for your continued support and have a great weekend. Book

Hello everyone - Please comment, or message me (you can request anonymity), some of your questions for this month's AMA (ask me anything) video! I'll give it a while to populate, so the deadline for questions is August 25th at midnight. Thanks very much for your continued support - Looking forward t

Good evenin' y'all, how goes it? In the final stretch here. We're officially moving to Tempe, Arizona, so that'll be home for now. We like it. Haven't even begun to explore the Phoenix area - it's enormous. Currently finishing up Cormac McCarthy's All The Pretty Horses (Paid Link). I'll get that rev

A discussion of, among other things, my feelings on our 'post-literate' society, bad books and trashy books, my earliest memory, and whether or not I have ever ridden a horse. Thanks for your patience in my posting of this video - It has been a wild ride across the country. July 2026 AMA (YouTube)

Buenas noches y'all - How're ya? Made it to Phoenix. Very glad to rest for a moment. Slowly getting back on track. July AMA is currently being edited. I'll get that to you asap. The current temperature outside is 107. But hey - no humidity! Thanks very much for your continued support. Book to read:

Hi there y'all - We're about to embark on the second leg of our journey to the desert, so there will be no Better Than Friday next week as I'll be on the road somewhere in Northern Arizona. This last week I was reading Gabrielle Wittkop's 'Exemplary Departures' (excellent so far) when I discovered t

An experimental piece of historical fiction concerning the founding father of Jazz: Charles "Buddy" Bolden, the mysterious New Orleans cornetist who, one day, while performing, tragically lost his mind. Coming Through Slaughter - Michael Ondaatje BOOK REVIEW (YouTube)

Good evening everyone - The review for Michael Ondaatje's 'Coming Through Slaughter' is being edited, coming your way soon. Hope none of you are having to deal with that wildfire smoke. Have a great weekend and thanks so much for your continued support! A Book Recently Recommended to Me: The White D

Hello everyone - Please comment, or message me (you can request anonymity), some of your questions for this month's AMA (ask me anything) video! I'll give it a while to populate, so the deadline for questions is July 24th at midnight. Thanks very much for your continued support - Looking forward to

Hello Hello everyone! Currently on a brief trip to New Orleans celebrating our anniversary. Quite the town. Nowhere in the world like it. Hope you’re having a nice evening, thank you so much for your continued support. Book I’m curious about: The Tarot of A.E. White and P. Colman Smith (Paid Link):

Happy Fourth of July y'all, hope those of you stateside get a decent amount of sleep through the weekend's intermittent explosions. Currently reading Michael Ondaatje's 'Coming Through Slaughter' (Paid Link), a work of Historical Fiction about Buddy Bolden, the legendary Jazz cornetist who helped fo

A discussion of, among other things, my opinions on appreciating literature written by troubling people, the most disturbing books I have ever read, and which book had the largest impact on my life. Links: James Hoffmann | The Coffee Guy: https://www.youtube.com/@jameshoffmann Patron-Only AMA #9 Jun

The story of an Italian man who found success in America and returns to his home in the Piedmont region, in the aftermath of WW2, where he reflects on the past and the people he knew. A rustic existential meditation on life and death. The Moon and the Bonfires - Cesare Pavese BOOK REVIEW (YouTube)

Good evening folks - Next up is "The Moon and the Bonfires" by the Italian author Cesare Pavese - coming soon. Hope those of you in Europe are hanging in there. I hear that heat is brutal. Have a nice weekend, and thank you very much for your continued support. Book to read: The Quark and the Jaguar

A deeply odd tale of horror inspired by Kabbalah, set in a 19th century Jewish ghetto in Prague, about a man who becomes another man trying to remember who he is. Incredibly unique. Both Borges and Lovecraft were fans. The Golem - Gustav Meyrink BOOK REVIEW (YouTube)

Good hot & humid evening friends! The edit for the review of Gustav Meyrink's 'The Golem' is almost finished, coming soon. Wishing you a fine weekend, thanks very much for your continued support. Book to read: The Garden of Seven Twilights by Miquel de Palol (Paid Link) An intriguing contemporary no

Hi there y'all - Please comment, or message me (you can request anonymity), some of your questions for this month's AMA (ask me anything) video! I'll give it a while to populate, so the deadline for questions is June 26th at midnight. Thanks very much for your continued support - Looking forward to

Good evening friends, how goes? I thought Florida was hot but Mississippi is something else. Hope you're having nice, and cooler, weather, wherever you find yourself. About to finish up Gustav Meyrink's "The Golem". Review coming asap. Thank you so much for your continued support, and have a great w

How y'all doin? Hiding out down south, currently reading Meyrink's 'The Golem' - Quite unusual. Thanks for all your support and wishing you a great weekend. Book to read: The Life of Saint Teresa by Herself (Paid Link) I had no idea that she wrote a book!! Gotta read this asap. The Catholic Italian

Good evening everyone! How've you been? We've been in Natchez Mississippi for the last couple of weeks planning our next move. For the moment it's a situation of hurry up and wait. I'll try to keep Better Than Friday and all content on schedule, but it might get challenging these next few months wit

A discussion of, among other things, politics in art, recommendations for visiting Japan, and whether or not I have ever read a book that psychologically scarred me to the point of regretting it. *Apologies for the intermittent lawn mower noise Patron-Only AMA #8 April 2026 (YouTube)

A rare collection of essays by a legendary pioneer in rocket science who was devoted to the occult. Few biographies come anywhere close to as fascinating as that of Jack Parsons. BUY BOOK HERE TO SUPPORT THE SHOW (Paid Link): https://amzn.to/4wN3WYp SOURCES: Atrocityguide Jack Parsons Doc: https://y

Hi everyone, I'm afraid I've underestimated the level of prep work this house requires (see below). Unfortunately, we're on a tight deadline, so I will have to postpone producing content (Newsletter, AMA's, Reviews) until I'm settled in place next month. I'll post the April AMA in May. My apologies,

Hidy y'all. Dropped the Dispatches review yesterday if you haven't had the pleasure. It's a book about war, sure - But so much more. Highly, highly recommended. Meanwhile, preparing to hit the road. Much painting in my near future. Wishing you a fine weekend, thank you very much for continuing to su

A brilliant semi-fictional memoir detailing a war correspondent's experience of the Vietnam War. L.A. TIMES ARTICLE: MICHAEL HERR: A MAN OF FEW WORDS BY PAUL CIOTTI: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-04-15-tm-2121-story.html FIRST KILL DOCUMENTARY: https://youtu.be/m0m573MxXXw?si=Jh40Wv6L

Hello friends, Dispatches review is being edited this weekend - coming your way asap. It will be the last review from the Florida headquarters. I'll be reporting from the deep south in Natchez MS (or on the road) until we reach our final destination (still tbd). Content will be slower for a bit as w

Hi there y'all - sailing in the sea of boxes preparing for the move. Might have to shoot this month's AMA on my phone, we'll see. Please comment, or message me (you can request anonymity), some of your questions for this month's AMA (ask me anything) video! I'll give it a while to populate, so the d

Hello everyone, how goes? About to finish the last chapter of Michael Herr's Dispatches - quite a book. Review coming asap. Hope ya'll are well and having a nice evening, thank you so much for your continued support. Book to read: Memoirs From Beyond the Grave by François-René de Chateaubriand (Paid

Greetings y'all, happy Friday. Currently reading Michael Herr's 'Dispatches' (Paid Link). 16 pages in and I am sold. It's exceptionally written. Simultaneously, packing up the library and preparing for our departure. A busy time. Still unsure of our final destination, but we are planning a reconnais

A discussion of my experience trying to make a film, my opinion on the literacy crisis, the most brutal books I've read, my religious and political views, and more. Patron-Only AMA #7 March 2026 (YouTube)

A reflection on old age and the mysterious artistic breakthroughs found therein, through a memoir combined with a series of explorations of various artists, including Beethoven, Titian, Jean Rhys, Leoš Janáček, Tagore, and Igor Stravinsky. Winter Light - Douglas J. Penick BOOK REVIEW (YouTube)

Good evening friends, how're ya? Editing the review for Douglas J. Penick's "Winter Light" - Will post this weekend. Hope all is well with you, thank you so much for your continued support. Book to read: Hagakure: The Secret Wisdom of the Samuai by Yamamoto Tsunetomo (Paid Link) Remembered this one

Hello friends, happy first day of Spring. Currently reading Winter Light by Douglas J. Penick, one of the translators of one of my favorites of 2024, A Terrace in Rome by Pascal Quignard. Winter Light is a reflection on old age through an examination of accomplishments made by interesting artists in

A quiet portrait of melancholy European millennials that turned out to be (perhaps unintentionally) far darker than I anticipated. Perfection - Vincenzo Latronico BOOK REVIEW (YouTube)

Good evening everyone, and Happy Friday the 13th...again? I can't recall ever having two in such close proximity...That can't be a good sign. Luck be damned - we shall have a good year. And I hope yours is off to a good start and filled with many great books. Review of Latronico's Perfection coming

Hello ya'll, hope you're all doing well out there. Please comment, or message me (you can request anonymity), some of your questions for this month's AMA (ask me anything) video! I'll give it a while to populate, so the deadline for questions is March 24th at midnight. Thanks very much for your cont

How y'all doin friends? Looks like I may be traveling this month in preparation for our move from Florida. Still unsure of our ultimate destination. I'll try to keep content coming as consistently as I'm able. Currently finishing up "Perfection" by Vincenzo Latronico (Paid Link). Hope you have a gre

A discussion of the conceptual mechanics of horror in books and film, poetry, Japanese literature, E-Readers vs. Paper, the area of literature I feel guilty for neglecting, and more. Patron-Only AMA #6 February 2026 (YouTube)

A Freudian decadent novel from 1920s Vienna about lust, fidelity, and love. It was the source material for Kubrick's last film "Eyes Wide Shut". The book that became EYES WIDE SHUT - Dream Story by Arthur Schnitzler BOOK REVIEW (YouTube)

Gooood evening y'all, how ya doing? What a time, right? We're all just holdin' our breath. That Dorsey news was crazy. Guess it's not hype after all. Here we go. Here's some stuff to distract from the noise. Review of Arthur Schnitzler's Dream Story dropping this weekend. Wishing you a very nice wee

Good evening, friends, how goes? Just finished Arthur Schnitzler's short decadent novella 'Dream Story', the source material for Kubrick's 'Eyes Wide Shut' - I recommend it. Review coming soon. You can finish it over the weekend. Still exhaling after the last Sexual Personae video, gearing up for at

Hello ya'll, please comment, or message me (you can request anonymity), some of your questions for this month's AMA (ask me anything) video! I'll give it a while to populate, so the deadline for questions is Feb 26th at midnight. Thanks very much for your support. Looking forward to your questions,

In these Chapters Paglia explores Decadence in American authors and finishes the book with a powerful chapter on the poet Emily Dickinson, comparing her to The Marquis de Sade. Chapter 22: https://youtu.be/yMSVQNTEI5s?si=oHj55hxMluAaSeak Chapter 23: https://youtu.be/yMSVQNTEI5s?si=0jMgxwWC4XdOElHQ&t

Happy Friday the 13th everyone! Just finished shooting the final segment of the Sexual Personae series. It's already being edited and will be up soon. Have a great weekend and thank you so much for your continued support. Book to be read: Sunflower by Gyula Krúdy (Paid Link) Disclaimer: NYRB sends m

Gooood evening everyone hope you're having a nice Friday evening. Finished Sexual Personae - Incredible. Neck deep in writing the review for the last installment, coming soon. Reading anything good? Have a great weekend and thank you so much for your continued support. Book to Read: Wieland by Charl

A discussion of books, films, Art and Ai, the foods that are better than reading, and whether or not I've ever dabbled in the occult... Patron-Only AMA #5 January 2026 (YouTube)