To kick it off, sophomore Libby Friede from Philadelphia hits on the sensitive topic of the infamous high school sweetheart.

Dear Freshman,

If you’ve ever seen the movie Annie Hall you are familiar with a basic premise: boy meets girl, they fall in love, girl moves across the country. There are two potential ends to the story:
Boy and Girl realize someone needs to move so they can be together
Boy and Girl go their separate ways. Both have a hard time, and then they move on.

When I was a freshman, I moved from Pennsylvania to California. My boyfriend moved to  New York City. (The exact locations NYC and LA parallel the movie to perfection.) We watched Annie Hall and realized the Woody Allen-Diane Keaton conundrum was only a few weeks away from reality. After endless nights of talking about it and not talking about it, we decided to make it work. After all, we had technology on our side. How hard could it be with Skype, e-mail, Facebook, and cell phones? I arrived in California nervous and lonely. I didn’t know a single person, and it was so much easier to log onto Skype than open my  door and meet new people.

For three weeks we attempted a game of long distance ping-pong. He called, but I couldn’t pick up because of orientation. I called, and he had just started dinner. It was frustrating and isolating. I skipped out on so many parties and invitations to fro-yo because we had a Skype date, or I was on the phone. I was technically in Claremont but I was in this strange limbo-land, equal parts Philadelphia, New York, and Claremont. Finally, there was the fateful call: “this isn’t working.” At first, I felt even more alone. Then someone invited me to a Friday night performance of Without a Box (so good!). I almost said no out of habit, but I realized I didn’t have a phone call coming, so I went out. And then I had fun. Little by little, I went to more parties and more club meetings. I met more people and got out of my room and out of my shell.

I don’t write this letter of advice saying don’t have a long distance significant other. There are some people who do it; there are some people who can make it work. There are also plenty of people (freshman mostly) with a significant other across the country or around the world. They will probably say things like “we’re practically married” or “the distance makes us closer.” Hate to break it to you, but for a lot of you in this boat, the break-up wave is coming and it’s okay. It’s really hard to give 100% to making new friends and living in a new place when you feel so connected to somewhere else.

Break-ups are always tough, but they are even harder when you’re a million miles from home. Instead of making a playlist of sad songs, find someone in your hall to talk about it with. Chances are you are not the only one in the same situation.  Talking about your break-up is not only free therapy, you’ll probably get a really good friend out of it.

For those of you who do stay with your far-off significant other, make sure you give Claremont a shot. Try to get out there and make new friends. Whether you’re an alternative Allie or a preppy Pam, you can find your people here; you just have to go out and look for them. From classes to clubs to TNC, get out and meet people! I know this is advice that you’ve probably heard a million times but it’s true. If your mind’s tied to a lover across the country, your eyes on computer screen, and your ear glued to a phone, there’s a lot less room and a lot less time to meet people here that will become your Claremont family.

Peace, Love,  and Cheesesteaks,

Libby Friede

Staff writers Kelsey Brown and Caroline Nyce contributed to this article.

We at the Forum hate to compound the problem but the thing is… everyone really wants to know. So please take a second and tell us what you’ve been up doing. Keep in mind, we would like to hear your best story from break rather than a dull summer summary. Keep it less than 800 words. Photos are strongly encouraged.

We will be publishing the best submissions over the next two weeks. After all have been published, students will be able to vote for their favorite submission. There will be a prize for the highest vote getter.

In addition to the new flatscreens, which will feature live updates from CMC’s finest internet publication, the computer labs have seen a few other upgrades. Poppa’s nasty old flooring and plastic sheets have been torn up and replaced with new carpeting. The chairs have also been upgraded to seats with some sick new technology — armrests! Awesome. And, if you’re a lab junky like me, you’ll be most excited for this last detail: Poppa is now ALL double screens. That’s right. No more arguing with growling seniors for those prized PCs during thesis time.

Some of the other changes students will see on campus include: flat-screens in Collins (and some huge fruit posters?), new wide-screen monitors in Ryal, and, even though you loved the Hub’s old-church-basement feel, it’s received a makeover, too. Those old love seats have been swapped for plush new leather furniture and the carpet has been completely replaced. The Kravis Center workers are still slaving away, but the construction has ended on the new pathway from CMC to Scripps. Now, there are a few new places to sit and a few less steps on the way to that delicious Scripps brunch.

The Black Keys Work (FM Attack Remix)-Erlend Øye

This song is one-fourth of the Astrowave EP FM Attack released in early June.  Kings of Convenience and Whitest Boy Alive frontman Erlend Øye get remixed in the dreamy and infectious style  FM Attack  has quickly patented as his sound.  Consider this your soundtrack to synthy summer nights.

Summer in Brooklyn-Jay-Z featuring Lil’ Wayne

Cookin’ Soul=spicing up American Gangster. As usual, Weezy provides ample entertainment for the remix, which samples the timeless Pharcyde jam “Passin’ Me By.”  Guess we’ll call this a shout out to all you CMCers in the “City” this summer.

Gilbere Forte'

1st Floor-Gilbere Forte’ featuring Freelance Whales

Following the indie + hip-hop trend, Gilbere Forte’ samples Freelance Whales and Aislyn (of Passion Pit fame).  The Smoking Section describe the beats as “a musical roll of thunder” paired with Forte”s quickly-paced flow.  It’s hard to stand out in the wave of hip-hop talent, but  ”1st Floor” proves Gilbere Forte’ is certainly poised to do so.  You heard it here first.

Maybe So, Maybe No (Reggae Mix)-Mayer Hawthorne

So we’ve already established that Mayer Hawthorne exudes a kind of cool unlike any one else in the indie/electronic/hip-hop/motown revival scene.  ”Maybe So, Maybe No” is a track off of his album, A Strange Arrangement released in September 2009 but he recently decided to release a reggae mix to his Twitter followers.  How could a little reggae beat paired with soulful vocals not make you feel like drinking a Red Stripe?

King of the Beach-Wavves

If for no other reason than Nathan Williams’ hybrid skate-punk and 60s surfer guitar, the title track of Wavves’ King of the Beach screams “palm trees” and “sunshine.”  What’s that you say?  We’re not getting jobs?  We’ll just take up the guitar and join Wavves on the beach.

Spilling Over Every Side EP-Pretty Lights

Pretty Lights is an incredibly talented DJ.  This new EP, released on July 29th, is quite possibly the best example of his skill to date.  To seal the deal for all you anxious downloaders, all of his work is “pay what you can” on his website.  If you like what you hear, don’t stop at this EP–download his entire discography.  We’re crossing our fingers he makes his way out to Southern California soon.

Amadou & Mariam

Midnight Love-Tennishero

The Swedes know what’s up.  Tennishero (Jens Andersson and Alexander Berg) comes at us with this loungey/house track produced a few years back.  You know those songs you can listen to like five times in a row?  You guessed it, “Midnight Love” makes that list.

Boy-Ra Ra Riot

Ra Ra Riot is one of those bands we usually like better once their work is remixed.  ”Boy” off of their forthcoming LP The Orchard, however, captures their orchestrated indie-pop essence at its peak.  Sounds like lead singer Wes Miles’ side-project rubbed off well on RRR’s new material.

Sabali-Amador & Mariam

Amador & Mariam win for “most adorable blind Malian couple ever.”  They also win for best “fresh take on World music,” combining traditional high-pitched vocals with a great electro-synth beat on “Sabali.”  We’ll call this the pick for all you CMCers hanging out in other parts of the world this summer.

Boyfriend (GhostWaves edit)-Best Coast

Best Coast has been all over this summer.  Even in the Washington Post. This GhostWaves rework made us forgive Bethany Cosentino for whining about her boyfriend and really dig her lo-fi vocals and chillwave sound.

Coming or Going (RAC Remix)-White Arrows

A delectable RAC remix of this White Arrows song, whose first EP is due out in August.  As the blogs have told us, this song is good enough to be featured on Entourage — keep a look out this season.

According to Dr. Ryan Jefferson, the head of the AHI and owner of an all-organic vegan restaurant/bike shop, the root of the problem can be traced back to a recent musical release by Sleigh Bells, a newcomer to the world of indie music.  “In Sleigh Bells, we really have a perfect storm for this kind of condition,” explained Jefferson.  “You’ve got great beats, taken almost straight out of a lot of clubbing music.  But at the same time you have really fuzzed-out guitars.  By the time those sassy female vocals come in, we’re seeing a lot of folks already tapping their feet.”

Miller, left, and Krauss could be endangering young people with their debut album "Treats."

The Brooklyn-based duo consists of Derek Miller, formerly of screamo band Poison the Well, and Alexis Krauss, who played in the less-well known RubyBlue in addition to a job as a public school teacher.  Early demo CDs captured the attention of club music superstar M.I.A., who collaborated with Miller to produce a full-length record.  Their debut album, “Treats,” gained remarkably positive reviews, including a “Best New Music” award from Pitchfork, a favorable review in Rolling Stone Magazine, and a Metacritic score of 84.  Its catchy sound, readily apparent in tracks like “Crown on the Ground” and “Tell ‘Em,” has caused word of the band to spread quickly across the country, mostly passing between friends.

“At first I thought it was an unreleased Ratatat remix when my friend Rob played it for me,” said Mike Anderson, a Santa Monica, California native and art student.  “But then he told me they were this new underground thing.  I sure hope it stays this way.”

Other reports are far more alarming.  At a recent Sleigh Bells concert in Cleveland, Ohio, three people were injured while dancing to the band’s high-energy live performance.  In an interview with Billboard.com, Krauss even stated that “we want to create an atmosphere that is just fun and energetic and just encourages mayhem and lots of dancing.”  With this type of sentiment coming from the band,

The AHI fears that repeated exposure to Sleigh Bells debut release can trigger outward expression of enjoyment to music, jeopardizing the individual’s ability to smugly drink Pabst Blue Ribbon at concerts or other social settings.  In order to prevent this type of condition from occurring to you or to someone you know, it is recommended that the affected person be taken away from any Sleigh Bells recording and instead listen to Neil Young on vinyl while smoking American Spirits.  A quick fixed-gear bike ride is also strongly recommended.

When I was in India, it was amusing to see volunteers put up with 100+ degree heat, squat toilets, no toilet paper, hard-as-rock beds, scrubbing laundry, food poisoning, and power/water outages without much complaint, and then go apeshit because the wireless was down, as it often was in our corner of the subcontinent. It gives you an idea for how important the Internet has become to those of us from the West, but it also makes us look particularly shallow to the NGO staff, who provide the wireless as a favor, and were generally bemused at our behavior.

When the Internet was working it was prone to abuse, selfishness and bickering that you didn’t see from the same people in other circumstances. A month before I left we found out someone was sneaking into the lab at night, downloading porn and movies on BitTorrent, slowing the connection to a crawl. When volunteers have to share the one or two terminals in the office, time is precious but people still use it for chat and Facebook, despite the signs and people waiting. And the people waiting like to check the screen and privately pass judgment on the user’s surfing habits. You mean you’re keeping me waiting just to chat?

From your brain’s point of view, checking the Internet is like playing the slots; most of the information we get is bland but sometimes, the thrill of getting exciting news or hearing from a sexy lady makes our heart race. So each time we go online we’re essentially gambling on what sort of info we are going to receive, akin to pulling the handle on a slot machine. Second, there’s something about clicking the mouse, consuming information and opening new pages that gives us the illusion that we’re putting in a lot of work. Third, once you’re on the Internet it’s really easy to continue to lazily consume information, allowing more bits to flicker across the screen, instead of doing actual work.

Productivity on the Internet is an illusion. Researchers have found out that once you get distracted it takes an average of 11 minutes to get back to your original level of focus. An Internet connection is a gateway to infinite distraction; there will always be more items in your RSS feed or Facebook feed or NY Times stories to click on. When you don’t have the Internet, you might not be able to look up facts or dictionary words but you also won’t spend two hours looking at spring break photos on Facebook or down Wikipedia’s rabbit hole.

In India, I was really productive in the 18 hours every day that I didn’t have Internet, and I’m making plans to maintain that productivity when I get home. I’ve been training myself to focus – starting with 5 minutes at a time and slowly working up. I canceled my smartphone contract and traded it for a $10 phone (and $15/month contract). I use Freedom, the mac app that disables the Internet more often. I process email while offline; Thunderbird lets messages sit in my outbox and sends them all at once. And maybe when I’m back at CMC I’ll work in the middle of the football field, supposedly the only place at CMC without wireless.

I like referring to people who are on surfing binges as vampires – there’s something about the way they look up from the screen, startled and slightly guilty, after having lazily sucked information from the terminal for three hours. It’s not attractive, and I’m as guilty of it as anyone. The Internet is a productivity killer, and it brings out really ugly behavior in people. Don’t let it happen to you.

We’re on the way to Accra, the capital of Ghana, from Tamale. It is hour five of our thirteen hour trip. Tamale is one of the most Northern cities in Ghana, a calm region that is a bit different than the rest of the nation. Our local guide, Razak, told us it is about 55 percent Muslims, a statement echoed by the call-to-prayer booming from the mosques five times a day. The market at the center of the city is similar to the ones we’ve seen thus far: full of second hand American apparel (not your $45 sparkly unitard – more like your 1998 Hall and Oates revival tank-top your dad gave away 7 years ago) and more fresh fruit than your salivary glands can handle. 

As white travelers (Obrunis as Ghanians say), we are perpetually being hustled. Which is fair enough, I could probably start a successful business here with the dollar amount equivalent to last year’s 16 meal plan. My Nikes shout, “I am obligated to pay twice as much for this taxi ride.” Luckily we’re traveling with Big Leks–the ultimate bargainer. Cold-hearted some would say, but he’s used to it. See the whole reason we are even in Ghana is because his family lives in Accra. They’ve graciously let us destroy the contents of their cupboards and spoil their toilets with ample amounts of traveler’s diarrhea – an unfortunate inevitability. I knew the fish looked funky.

But this bus… this is just one bus, the last bus. Our first bus took us comfortably to Cape Coast, home of a disturbing attraction: the Cape Coast Slave Castle. This place was built sometime in the 1600s, I think, there is surprisingly little access to Wikipedia in rural Africa. So I’m not really sure when it was built, suffice to sayit fits the bill for a “slave castle,” being sufficiently spooky. Walking into the slave dungeons and standing among the unforgiving stones it wasn’t hard to imagine the horror.  The Door of No Return affected me the most. There, the slaves were slung into American and European ships, never to see their home or families again. Goodbye Mama Africa and freedom, hello cotton plantation. Forget a textbook, send a sixth grader to a slave castle and they’ll never forget the feeling of heartbreak.

With the macabre of the castle still fresh in our mind, we headed to a slightly more uplifting location, the jungle. Yes, the jungle, like panthers and fat spiders, and so much humidity my glasses fogged up like a September TNC. Our purpose was to accomplish the canopy walk: A series of swaying bridges connected to the treetops. Yeah, “what the shit” is what I was thinking too. But once we got up there, along with an elementary school full of screaming children, it was amazing. (It’s hard to act like a wimp when an eight year old girl is right next to you, leaping from plank to plank, unfazed.) Caught in the fog, we swayed our way across rope bridges like Indiana Jones. Maybe less swiftly, especially Leks, dude is top heavy with a feet the width of the bridge itself.

In the three days following our deep jungle excursion, we hit up the Green Turtle, an environmentally-friendly beach resort that is just a Corona commercial away from paradise. Actually it was soap and mosquito repellent away from paradise. If malaria has ever entered my bloodstream it was at the Green Turtle. Thank the holy lord for Doxycycline, my Malaria / Chlamydia / Syphilis / any-infection-you-might-ever-get pill. Despite the itching bites, we found happiness in a five cedi ($3.50) liter of gin, and the unexpected entertainment of a Jenga set. Pull, assign drink, pull, assign drink, make it fall- take a shot. Egyptians had it down, architecture is fun.

The next morning we hopped aboard another bus, this one 7 hours to TamaleLeks’ pops is working on campaign to fight malaria in more rural areas of Ghana, and that’s where we were heading, toone of thoserural villages outside of Tamale. We had to change transportation to get to the village – you’ve never seen more people crammed in one rickety van (a tro-tro). I counted 24, including the nipple-latched infant feeding next to Kai. We were fine until the hood flew up and scarred spider-web cracks across the windshield. Despite the scare, we made it to the village wet from the shoulder sweat of our neighbors but unscathed.

The village was like every African charity commercial you see on TV, minus the cleft pallets and ballooned bellies. So it wasn’t really, I guess just the mud huts and nearly naked children, chilling out maxing, relaxing all cool. The kids were ecstatic to see a camera and posed for us while we got our fill of culture to show the rest of the world what awesome travelers we are. “I was there!” For the malaria spray, the huts were emptied and shot with a pesticide which supposedly lasts a year. When mosquitoes land on the walls they die immediately, like they deserve. Naughty disease spreaders. Upon our departure we were given a guinea fowl by the chief linguist, a lovely offering we kindly accepted, though we later gave it away to more adequately trained fowl chefs.

The trip north was incredible. Yet, now, I am cursing my life, minutes away from going mad. It is dark and the shine of my book light on the flow of my pen is the only thing keeping me sane. The potholes in the dirt road are not assisting my legibility and I may stab this lady in front of me. “I am six foot three, you are four-eleven, do you realize how little space I have!” I won’t though. I’ll sit here with my noise canceling headphones relaying silence from the dead iPod in my pocket, thinking of all the amazing aspects of this trip.  There’s more to come though, on South Africa, the cup and such. I mean, if you care, the eight dollars Carl pays me per article isn’t quite a driving force. Just saying.

Much love, enjoy the sun, and these pics.

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Those of you who know me know that I am obsessed, likely to an unhealthy degree, with all things politics. I love the ephemera most of all. Sure we could have a substantive policy discussion about the relative virtues of the Senate and House versions of the Child Nutrition reauthorization bill, the merits and scope of ‘doc-fix,’ or the finer points of PEPFAR…but Viagra jokes and dorky white guys are just more fun.

Now, I do not claim that this is an exhaustive list of Congressional foibles, but they made me laugh.

This being my second summer in DC I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you some of  gems spewed forth by certain members of Congress. Often times Washington is criticized as “Hollywood for ugly people,” well CMC it’s time for you to meet some of the starlets. Let’s take a gander at what the series of tubes has offered us as of late.

Hank Johnson (D-Crazytown): As you will soon see, it’s not a good idea for Rep. Johnson’s staff to let him go off-script. It is, however, fantastic for everyone else when he does.

The Congressman has a knack for asking the questions that no one else has thought to ask, like will Guam tip over if we built a Navy base there…seriously, he asked that.

Ok, but everyone asks a weird question once in a while, right? Don’t you dare underestimate Hank.

Here’s Hank Johnson wondering if his microphone might need some encouragement to stay up. (Yeah, it’s a dick joke)

Here’s Hank Johnson musing about the virtues of our civil justice system. For example, “if you want to know…how many times your neighbor has beat his wife” you can find that at the courthouse… truly strange and well worth the 6 minutes of your time.

Steve Cohen (D – Funkytown): Now as you all know, Jews are world renowned for our dancing abilities. Whether it be getting up on a roof, or throwing people out of chairs, my people know how to get down. That’s why it was so disapointing to see this video of Rep. Steve Cohen. Cohen represents Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District which is almost 60% black (look, a fact!) and so Steve Cohen must be ever vigilant in his quest to show that he is ‘down’ with the people; this man knows how to boogie.

This is why Jews (sorry Matisyahu and Eric Scott) shouldn’t rap. Sweat drenched polo shirt and dockers, blackberry on his hip, this fella is hood.

Yes, there’s more…

Bob Etheridge (D – Smackdown): You might be a redneck if you get suddenly violent when college-age video trackers ask you if you “support the Obama agenda”?

Rep. Etheridge, proof that steroids can ruin any sport…

Congressional Black Caucus (Ethics Watchdogs): The Congressional Black Caucus has picked a fight, locked in their sight is the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE). Who is leading this valiant effort? Rep. Marcia Fudge. What possible motive could Fudge have to pick this particular fight? Well, her Chief of Staff  Dawn Kelly Mobley was admonished by the House Ethics Committee for counseling an outside group on how to circumvent House disclosure requirements.

So these members might have a gripe, what’s the funny part? Well, one of the co-sponsors is Rep. Alcee Hastings. That name familiar? Well it should be Alcee Hastings, while serving as a federal judge, was impeached by the House and removed from office. One of only 6 judges in US history to be impeached and removed from office. Wow.

Other CBC members who have been investigated by OCE, the Ethics Committee, or the Department of Justice include: Reps. Rangel, Jefferson, Thompson, Clarke, Payne, Kilpatrick, Christensen, Hastings, Jackson Jr., Watt, and Senator Burris.

Alright, now before I get a series of angry comments pointing out that both parties are guilty of ethical lapses, I grant your point….

But seriously folks, Alcee Hastings talking about ethics is like:

• (a) Michael Jackson talking about child care
• (b) Osama bin Laden practicing non-violent protest
• (c) Dora smiling
• (d) John Edwards not being scum of the earth
• (e) all of the above

Take your pick, CMC.

Twilight:

Summary: Angst-ridden teen Bella loves Cedric Diggory but she also loves a tan, pig-nosed beefcake.  Dilemma! Practice looking forlorn, young Stewart, you are trying to sell celibacy to a generation where sex is so ubiquitous, there are PSAs about sexting!

You’ll buy the books if: You are a self-hating womyn. This not-so-subtle attempt at Mormon propaganda is unbelievably misogynist considering it was written by someone named Stephanie. Beyond that, it is just embarrassing how bad the writing is and how pathetic the plot devices are. The combination leads to weird situations such as Cedric/Edward deciding that Bella should not be allowed to drive her own car because it is not safe. And in all honesty, women are not really genetically capable learning science — plus voting is so passé — why bother? Phyllis Schlafly clearly ghost-wrote this drek.

You’ll like the movies if: You find Frankenstein attractive and Dakota Fanning engaging, and the verb “to dazzle” does not make you gag impulsively.

Final thoughts: If you enjoy the American Empire, ignore this trash. It you desperately pray for the End of Days, the popularity of this franchise bodes well for you!

True Blood:

Summary: In the show, vampires have “come out of the closet,” as it were, revealing themselves to humanity. They are now trying to integrate into mainstream society…this is the backdrop to the antics and adventures of psychic Sookie Stackhouse, her vampire boyfriend Bill Compton, and a whole host of Southern eccentrics who would make Tennessee Williams’ curse his lack of imagination. There are also maenads, werewolves, and rock-hard naked bodies (Bon Temps has one hell of a gym!) It’s HBO, so celibacy is far from encouraged.

You’ll like the books if: everything I’ve just said strikes you as blasé. The show’s inspiration – The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris — seems even crazier than the show. Exhibit A: the books feature twin fairy supermodels, and the guy is a fairy in both senses of the word. This could bode well for a beach read, BUT it is tough to say. I was recently on a flight and the woman next to me was reading one of them and she said it was really good. She also was flipping through a People magazine and eating DunkAroos . Where do you even get DunkAroos anymore? Has she been hording them since 1996? The whole thing seemed suspect.

You’ll like the television show if: You know you are settling in for an hour of trashy fun that does not entirely require you to check your brain at the door.

Final thoughts: This is my favorite show on television right now, and I have great taste (Death Becomes Her, hello!) so you will definitely love it too.

The Gates:

Summary: ABC, trying to cash in on this hip, supernatural trend quickly rolled out some show about a gated community with a new sheriff. Unbeknownst to the handsome lawman, his plucky wife and lovely children, this community if populated with—wait for it!—VAMPIRES, witches, and even a football star/werewolf. Not only are these gated-community folks supernatural, but many of them also are former lingerie and Abercrombie and Fitch models, so it will absolutely remind you of your high school experience. Who says Hollywood cannot come up with anything original anymore?

You’ll like it if: You are still watching “Desperate Housewives,” but you could change to Boondocks (they are black but is Japanimation and there’s also biting social commentary?!) Also, if your remote control is broken.

Final Thoughts: I was embarrassingly excited to watch the premier episode and was quite disappointed. So disappointed, I promptly when and rented Interview with the Vampire to clean my pallet. Go rent that. It has Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, Tom Cruise (forget that one) and a young Kirsten Dunst. Remember her? Remember when she was going to be somebody? She was such a good Marie Antoinette in that really long music video the baby from the Godfather directed. Go rent this movie, buy a bottle of Chianti, think about what Kirsten Dunst could have been and forget all about that weird ABC show that will probably be cancelled by the third episode.

Nine Stories (J.D. Salinger)

This collection of short stories from Holden Caufield’s creator will have you at hello.  Salinger exposes each of his characters’ secret complexities, offering the reader a penetrating glimpse of what makes humans tick.  Tinged with the sadness of wartime loss, poignant stories like “A Perfect Day for a Bananafish” and “For Esme” entrance the reader.

Vanishing Point: Not a Memoir (Ander Monson)

Graaaaaaa!!! This is Ander Monson lashing out at the virus that is the confessional memoir in American literature.  Monson grapples with the compulsion of self-interest and the “I” in his series of inventive, ever-engaging meditations.  Lose yourself in this eccentric writer’s collection of essays.

Drop City (T.C. Boyle)

Travel back in time to the scene of 1970s counterculture with T.C. Boyle’s psychedelic, sociological novel.  Free love, hallucinogens, and peace signs are blurred by a brooding insecurity about nonconformity.  Boyle floats from the California hippie commune to an isolated cabin in the Alaskan wilderness, a setting shift that allows the reader to examine and contrast off-the-grid lifestyles.

Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)

What would the world look like without leaders?  Ayn Rand’s monumental work explores a dystopian America in which the nation’s innovators—industrialists, artists, government officials—withdraw from the scene.  Rand emphasizes the necessity of these creative minds to the productivity and growth of society.  Be prepared for a philosophical journey…Rand isn’t a beach read.

Been Down So Long Looks Like Up To Me (Richard Fariña)

Enter Gnossos Pappadapoulis, arch-nemesis of academia’s bureaucracy.  Even though CMC is arguably among the most nurturing colleges, we’ve all been frustrated with the system at one point or another.  Fariña’s legendary Greek student-cum-rebel takes a stand against The Man in 1960s style in this haunting yet hilarious novel.

Interview Magazine

Andy Warhol’s ever-relevant magazine, started in 1969, features easy-to-read Q&A format interviews between random pop culture greats.  Expect the unexpected: Susan Sarandon, Carey Mulligan, Andrew W.K. (ha ha), and Ke$ha are just a few recent interviewers/interviewees.  A+ photographs from the likes of Annie Liebovitz and Bruce Weber abound.  Profanity and nudity are not off-limits for this envelope-pushing publication.