Naked Scribbling

I'm Professor Levine and welcome to American Literature 472. Today, we discuss visual metaphors involving the fusion of creative and murderous desires in MOBY DICK.

No! Wait. Wrong class.

We’re just a roving band of scribblers who want to have some fun. An eclectic bunch. (I’m not sure what “eclectic” means. I’ll ask Patty Smiley, who has an actual master’s degree).

Basically, we’ll just strip naked and race around the campfire screeching at the moon. In a literary sense, I think.

We’ll discuss popular culture: books, movies, music, theater, TV. We’ll discuss freaks of nature: Donald Trump. We’ll discuss wonders of the world: Donald Trump’s hair.

But enough for now. I’m off to New York for the annual festivities of the Mystery Writers of America. Fellow blogger James (The Barrister) Grippando and I will be on “Catherine Crier Live” on Court TV Wednesday at 5 p.m. EDT. One caveat, however. (For you non-lawyers, “caveat” is a legal term meaning: “there’s a cat in your hat.”) If any real news happens, such as Zacarias Moussaoui suddenly becoming sane, we’ll be preempted.

I’ll be back in Los Angeles this weekend and want to invite everyone to the Rock Bottom Remainders concert on Saturday April 29 at 2:30 p.m. at UCLA’s Royce Hall. It’s $25 with the proceeds going to “America Scores,” which supports inner-city schools. Call (310) 825-2101 for tickets. (The Remainders are a rock band –sort of – featuring Dave Barry, Stephen King, Ridley Pearson, Amy Tan, Mitch Albom, among others. “We play music,” Barry says, “as well as Metallica writes novels.”)

News Flash: Prior to the concert, there will be an event of international importance, complete with Secret Service agents and network news coverage. I can’t tell you anything else, because it’s classified. For more information, call Scooter Libby.

--PAUL LEVINE