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Works by Seth Kaufman

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Metaphysical Graffiti: Rock's Most Mind-Bending Questions by Seth Kaufman is a light look at rock music and bands. Kaufman is a recovering musician Seth Kaufman grew up overseas, in Kenya and India, the son of a foreign correspondent. He ran a popular online music store where he sold so many copies of Kenny G records he should be tried at The Hague. Kaufman's own biography sets the tone for the book.

Well, I disagree quite a bit with Kaufman throughout the book, but his manner is not mean or without a good laugh. He opens with probably the most asked question in rock -- Beatles or Stones? A lengthy discussion, with the option of it being a trick question and the real answer is Led Zeppelin, ends in -- we like what we are brought up with his choice. That was when I knew I would agree with him, but having a beer was with him was definitely an option. He did put the nail in his own coffin with his Billy Joel chapter, but I did get his point.

A variety of topics are covered including air guitar and the Grateful Dead neither of which I gave much thought to throughout my life. On the subject of covers how can one not mention Janis Joplin's cover of "Me and Bobby McGee" or Elvis Costello's cover of "Peace, Love, and Understanding." Under "Does Rush Suck," Laufman makes a lot of good points. On the topic of drummers is a fun list of jokes and musings.

Kaufman gives a good mixture of praise and condemnation of some of rocks biggest names. No one will walk away in 100% agreement or 100% discord. He offers enough for the reader to agree with and just enough bad to get under your skin. This is a book that the reader will love and hate and thoroughly enjoy.

Available January 2019
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evil_cyclist | Mar 16, 2020 |
Nuns with Guns
By Seth Kaufman
Sukuma Books
Reviewed by Karl Wolff

The foul-mouthed reality show producer Rick "The Prick" Salter returns in Seth Kaufman's Nuns with Guns. In the novel, Rick has been exiled from television while he deals with a lawsuit from his previous program, The King of Pain. During that time, he counsels his fellow staff members on other TV shows they want to greenlight. Rick also works hard to give his live-in maid/fiancee Marta a wedding she deserves. But first he needs to get immigration off her back and deal with the thugs harassing her sons Los Angeles taco restaurant. Then a random shooting claims the life of a young bus boy. The gun fatality kicks Rick into high gear. In his anger and frustration about America's comically inept gun control laws, he decides to produce another reality show. He calls it Nuns with Guns.

Kaufman draws us into the heady atmosphere of producing a reality show broadcast on network TV. Rick insists it be on network TV, since that guarantees the most eyeballs. The premise of the show has four nuns competing to bring in the most guns. They do so in various big city gun exchanges. Turn in a gun, you get swag, your picture with a nun, and 15 seconds of fame. But the euphoria and optimism begin to slide as protests and death threats mount. The gun lobby (correction: the gun manufacturers lobby) may have the money, the gutless politicians in their back pocket like so many nickels and dimes, and mastered the art of disingenuous rhetoric, but Rick Salter found a way to counteract that. Americans love TV, spectacle, and a cause to rally around.

I'm giving this the highest score because Nuns with Guns possesses crackerjack writing, social relevance, crossover appeal, and it's really damn funny. There's plenty of emotional sentiment, but it doesn't collapse into maudlin sentimentality. Nuns with Guns is also a fantastic title. Kaufman has done the impossible: he's turned a foul-mouthed, PR-savvy, manipulative, selfish, and occasionally self-righteous reality show producer into a heroic figure. Highly, highly recommended. Even if you're a member of the NRA and love those guns, you would also find this an enjoyable novel.

Out of 10/10

http://www.cclapcenter.com/2016/05/book_review_nuns_with_guns_by_.html
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kswolff | 1 other review | May 20, 2016 |
Seth Kaufman's "Nuns With Guns" is a tale for and of our time. While here his fans are reunited with the characters from "The King of Pain," coincidentally our real life news shows gun buy backs in major cities.

Although one need not have read the author's debut novel, "The King of Pain," these two books belong together in our reading experience, on our book shelf, and definitely on our We Will Reread list.
1 vote
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Esta1923 | 1 other review | Mar 29, 2016 |
"The War Against Boredom" subtitled Short Stories, Riffs & Insanities by Seth Kaufman

Twenty-one short pieces each take readers into a slightly skewed vision of our current world. Many propose practical solutions unlikely to be adopted.

"In My Teenage Dystopian Movie"
A virus leads to a resolve to save the world.

"Cafe Shhhh" details the advantages of one-chair tables. Diners would escape from inadvertent eavesdropping.

"Ask Zelda" proves there are solutions to contemporary problems that would baffle Dear Abby.

"Can You Handle a Sex Scandal?" gives readers a valuable test. (My 43 points declare I have room for improvement.)

"Bags That Could Save the World," great ideas, easy to adopt!

"Song of My Selfies" gives us views of the author.

"The Maltese Cupcake" proves Sam Spade is still able to process data.

"In My Totally New Cheech and Chong Stoner Comedy" brings old favorites into today's world.

"Off the Wall" ~~Llama in Recording Studio.

"Fivethousandtwohundredtwelve.com" argues pros and cons of prediction.

"Missing Paragraphs from the N. Y. Times obit. of Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner is brief but prescient.

"The Brooklyn Invitational Nobel Prize for Literature Fantasy League Draft" reminds me to reread Eduardo Halfon's "The Polish Boxer."

"Your New Fall Lineup" takes off from an item in N. Y. Times, linking Trump with Lindsay Lohan, and Khloe Karadashian.

"The Average Joe's Guide to Poetry Techniques and Meeting Women" proves the value of literacy.

"Nick's Workout Regime" A trainer divulges valuable tricks.

"Submission's Editor at Dream's Quarterly" Editor's response to would-be writer.

"In My Immature Guy Gets Stuck with Little Kids Comedy" Splendid mix of nursery school and reality TV.

"Freeze Dancing With the Stars." An unlikely fund-raiser.

"Pre-Arranged Ritualistic Interpersonal Contact." The probable value of dating.

"The McKinsey Report" posits a $20,000 analysis of your marriage.

"Segway in Overdrive." Value of finding clues from e-mail address.
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Esta1923 | 2 other reviews | Nov 23, 2015 |

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Works
10
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