Picks

The Hours and the Times - a strange little dialog film about the fictionalized relationship between Brian Epstein and John Lennon during a trip to Barcelona shortly after the birth of Julian in 1963. What creates the drama is the sexual tension between Lennon and Epstein, who was gay. Great bathtub scene. And the faux pax of watching Bergman's The Silence, released in September, in April. Pesky details.

Inside and Other Short Fiction: Japanese Women by Japanese Women, edited by Ruth Ozeki, author of two really good novels - My Year of Meats and All Around Creation, who lives just up the road on an island off Vancouver, BC. Short fiction by new Japanese women writers. The story Piss by Yuzuki Moroi blew my mind, evading any and all expectations I had.

The Gods Drink Whiskey by Stephen Asma. What's a Chicago boy doing teaching Buddhism in Cambodia? Invigorating blend of Dharma and adventure. Intelligent, articulate, and investigative. Explores in some detail the horrifying effects of the Khmer Rouge on Cambodian culture. Chinese communism accelerated.

Bangkok Tatoo by John Burdett. WTF????