Buzz Bin

by Inlander Staff


Profiles in Filing -- There's something inherently funny about bad clip art, especially the kind of clip art you remember using in your high school journalism class. But when paired with snarky, profanity-laced dialogue and an unfolding narrative, the humble, two-dimensional world of clip art becomes something wonderfully subversive and sublime. David Rees' first book, My New Fighting Technique Is Unstoppable, was karate clip art imbued with deliciously juvenile sentiments. His newest book, My New Filing Technique Is Unstoppable, has all those'80s business clip art figures we know and love: women with unspeakably enormous perms, men in suits shaking hands, silhouettes poring over spreadsheets or talking on the phone, and of course, file cabinets with one drawer open. Typical dialogue between clip art characters includes gems like the following: "We're all foxy ladies in God's eyes. But we're having a meeting and you're not invited."


My New Filing Technique Is Unstoppable, which is, incidentally, the same size as a file folder, is bright pink and can be found at your local bookstore. Or visit the Web site at www.mnftiu.com.





Got Lit? -- Ain't nobody loves books as much as we love books, which is why we periodically interrupt our regular broadcast in order to bring you the latest-breaking news of Get Lit! In case you haven't heard, American Splendor cartoonist Harvey Pekar has just joined a lineup that includes Garrison Keillor, Dave Barry, Kurt Vonnegut, Lynda Barry and This American Life's Sarah Vowell. Pekar will be present for a showing of his Oscar-nominated film American Splendor, followed by a talk, on April 14. Tickets go on sale March 1. Other recently announced events include a day-long writing workshop with Lynda Barry entitled "Writing the Unthinkable" on April 17, and an intimate, tickets-only reception with Kurt Vonnegut following his reading (also on April 17). The full schedule, including ticket information, is at www.ewu.edu/getlit.





Overheard in Seattle -- One of your faithful Buzz Bin-ettes was in Seattle over the weekend where she indulged in a bit of shameless eavesdropping. We were especially delighted by this conversation between two salesgirls who were lamenting that Seattle already has too many stores of an unnamed corporation.


Girl 1: "The only place to go now is Eastern Washington."


Girl 2: "Yeah, but nobody lives out there."


Just for the record, the Spokane area is home to half a million people living within a 40 mile radius of downtown.





Local Boys -- If you're going to the Newsboys' concert at the Opera House this Saturday, be sure to cheer extra loud for their opening act, Sittser. This local, Whitworth-originated, Battle-of-the-Bands-winning Christian rock group beat out more than a few national acts to get the gig. Good job, guys!





Publication date: 02/26/04