One Shoe Over Bush Couscous Fest?

If only Bush had been eating couscous at the time of the incident. The joke is an attempted but failed pun on the title of a famous Ken Kesey novel -- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I only wish I could have added my own shoe or both... to Bush's rear. I hope they don't punish the guy. His heart was in the right place.

As a far flung friend commented (see comments), it would be nice if Bush provided more entertainment of the same kind. That got me thinking: hmmm, could we get Bush to give soem more speeches, say, at an International Shoe Manufacturers Conference, for example, or tour more countries where shoe symbolism is prevalent (Thailand, China, Japan for starters).

See also today's NYT with N. Kristoff's suggestion that -- in the wake of a Saudi Arabian offer of $150,000 for the thrown shoe -- the US treasury raise money to pay off American's debts by auctioning off shoes that have been thrown at (and autographed by) Bush at special fund raising events.

Colin Thubron, Interview, London 2008

On the occasion of his immensely well-received Shadow of the Silk Road (UK: 2006; US: 2007), the novelist and travel writer Colin Thubron was interviewed in July, 2008 in London. The wide-ranging discussion was published in Bloomsbury Review vol 28 issue 5 (Sept-Oct), 2008, along with an extensive review of Thubron's latest travel book and a short, introductory feature. These articles can found on the Bloomsbury Review website (bloomsburyreview.com). In the interview Thubron discusses his individual approach to travel writing, how he got started, and what keeps him going. Also touched on is the relation of Thubron's travel writing to his body of fiction. The review is a 2000 word appraisal of what the reviewer considers to be Thubron's finest travel book yet. The introduction describes interviewer James Dalglish's experience of meeting Thubron at his home in London.

Mid East Book Blog Opening Day!

The Mid East Book Blog is an uncensored site dedicated to books and publications in English on the Middle East Region including the countries of north Africa. Formal and informal commentary on all aspects of book or magazine publishing in this region is invited. We're interested in "What I'm reading now..." as well as formal reviews. There is no limitation (other than the regional one) on topics, but since I'm primarily interested in literature and politics, these subjects will probably dominate. Contributors may be authors or readers.