The collected thoughts of sportswriter, bookworm, & food critic Keith Law
This one with dish reader Richard Dansky over at his own personal site, part of his weekly series of five-question interviews with writers.
Also, the next book writeup will come Friday or Saturday, as I’m currently slogging my way through Alfred Döblin’s Berlin Alexanderplatz. I’m past the halfway point, so I’ll finish it, but it’s not one of my favorites from the Novel 100.
I did a Q&A with the guys over at DRaysBay, with topics ranging from the Rays to their AL East competition to food to the eternal question of whether I’d go back into a front office.
A piece of paper! Somebody threw a piece of paper on me!
I don’t know what’s funnier – the fact that they think I haven’t heard of Daniel Cortes (if nothing else, I read my buddy Rany Jazayerli’s blog, and he just wrote a piece on Cortes), the fact that they think I’m a communist, or the fact that they think I’m a vegetarian who doesn’t eat steak (I do, it’s just never my first choice) or get enough protein (sushi?). These things entertain me immensely.
I’ll be doing a 1 pm EST chat on Thursday, 2/21.
Since I didn’t want to get too food-y:
(1658) Steve (Tufts)
Hi Keith… been to Mistral, Strip Ts, and Something Savory all on your recommendation. You’ve earned my trust… now I’m going to Baltimore in late may for a weekend Sox series. Where in the Harbor area can/should I get some real crab cakes?
I’ve never had great crab cakes in the Harbor area. I love the crab cakes at the Clyde’s restaurants around DC, and I know they’re expanding towards Baltimore. I tried Angelina’s in Baltimore, allegedly the best in the city, but it was mediocre.
(342) Stoeten, Toronto
Keef, What the hell is on your head in the picture for this Lion in Oil interview?
It’s a bath towel for my daughter. She outgrew it a year ago.
(254) Grant (Atl GA)
Most important question of the day: what is on the menu for V-Day?
Lunch today was the last of the pork with mushroom sauce from the other day. Tonight is homemade tacos, everything from scratch but the shells. I toast and grind my own cumin seeds – night and day difference.
(2255) JP (Columbus, OH)
“Gourmet” Eddie sounds like a real food critic, I might give his advice a listen. Did he really type “sux”?
Indeed he did.
(78) Jeff (Madison)
KLAW – have you read In Defense of Food
I haven’t, because it doesn’t sound like a defense of food, but like a defense of the food the author wants us to eat. Sure, we should eat more fruits and vegetables, but refined grains are not evil, just something we should enjoy in moderation. And desserts without refined white flour? Come on. I don’t want whole wheat in my chocolate cake.
(387) J: (Ny, NY)
I don’t want to get into politics, but have you read either of Barack Obama’s books? Are they well written or fluff?
I have not. I assume any book written by a politician is designed to further his political career. Sure seems like it works that way.
(1299) Todd, San Diego
Keith, Have you read any of the more famous graphic novels? Stuff like Watchmen or The Dark Knight Returns?
Uh, yeah, I might have read one.
(196) Andrew (Burbank, CA)
Keith, You love to talk about novels on your chats and “The Dish”, but I was wondering if you enjoyed plays as well and if you had a favorite play/playwright. For me, “Waiting for Godot” is the finest play ever written with Samuel Beckett being the best playwright who ever lived and “Far Away” by Caryl Churchill is the best play of this young century.
Can’t read a play. Just not the same. The text was meant to be performed, and it’s best consumed that way.
UPDATED with link to chat page.
I’m back on the chat today, although I don’t plan for a marathon – just a quickie for Valentine’s Day.
Also, for your reading pleasure, a strong short piece over at Squawking Baseball on how it’s the government that’s broken when we’re looking to blame someone for public funding of stadia.
I love these guys, because they make me seem a lot funnier than I really am.
I AM WRITING THIS FROM MY BLACKBERRY!
Some notes/errata from today’s chat…
•I wrote a doubly misleading comment on Antonelli. One, he played 3b at Wake Forest – I confirmed this with his agent. Two, more importantly, I implied that I had seen him at Wake. I did not – I have never seen him swing a metal bat, and only saw him on the Cape as an amateur.
•more to come as I think of things…
Chat today at 1 pm.
Two emails today:
(228) keith law sucks! 2008-01-30 12:33:00.0
not my favorite.
I’m crushed, personally.
(232) Ben (Mankato) 2008-01-30 19:52:00.0
Just FYI, the concept of Insider sucks. ESPN needs to stop charging to read articles, stop choking the TV channels with college basketball/football, and start caring about hockey. That along with all the pop-ups on this damn site disgust me enough to leave in favor of mlb.com, nhl.com, etc etc. Have a nice life.
I understand why people don’t like Insider – not many sites charge for content, and in the mainstream sports world, I think ESPN is the only one – but I’m not sure why Ben thinks I have any influence whatsoever on any of the things that are pissing him off. I just works here.
FYI, I’ve got a 1 pm chat today over at the Four-Letter.