2009: Culture Year in Review

Every year, I post a summary of a lot of the things I saw, read, did, experienced in the last 12 months. I'll add a little commentary and links where I can if you want to see more or buy the book at my Amazon store or elsewhere. Share your favorite experiences from 2009 too please.

BOOKS

Nonfiction:

• King of Madison Avenue, David Ogilvy biography, by Kenneth Roman -- poignant and detailed biography of the legend. I read this the month before I came back to Ogilvy and it was worth it.
• Five Men Who Broke My Heart, Susan Shapiro
• Only As Good As Your Word, Susan Shapiro -- good advice for writers from my writing teacher
• The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls (memoir)
• You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas, Augusten Burroughs
• How We Decide, Jonah Lehrer
• The 4-Hour Workweek, Timothy Ferris -- shocking approach to life, including don't watch the news. If something's important, someone will tell you.

Fiction:

• Speed Shrinking, Susan Shapiro -- hilarious & my teacher's recent novel.
• Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout (Short stories) -- excellent collection. Won the Pulitzer.
• It's Beginning to Hurt, James Lasdun (Short Stories)
• East of Fifth Bliss, Doug Light (novel) - great East Village story, and by former colleague at Ogilvy
• The Vast Fields of Ordinary, Nick Burd - first novel from a great writer. Recommend buying it, reading it plus also good way to support emerging writers.
• How It Ended, Jay McIerney

FILM

• Objectified — a documentary about objects
• Julia & Julie — The better Meryl Streep vehicle in 2009
• Where the Wild Things Are — stunning
• A Serious Man - Quirky Cohen Brothers picture
• The September Issue, documentary — The real Devil Wears Prada
• A Single Man — Tom Ford's film. Beautiful and haunting.
• Up in the Air — killer opening credits and music
• The Hangover — finally saw this
• Avatar — didn't see it in 3D and it was still good.
• OSS 077: Cairo, Nest of Spies - French sendup of Bond and Austen Powers. Not great.

ART & ARCHITECTURE

• Musuem of Art & Design, New York
• Brooklyn Museum
• Rubel Collection, Miami (Feb)
• Shepard Fairey Exhibit, ICA Boston (April)
• Museum of Handbags & Purses, Amsterdam (March)
• Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (March)
• Anne Frank House, Amsterdam (March) - Book tickets in advance!
• Congress Hall, Philadelphia (April) - Went with Adam. Ran for president.
• Dwell House Tour, Brooklyn (May)
• Frank Lloyd Wright Exhibit, Guggenheim (June)
• Intrepid Museum (July) - not as good for kids as you'd think
• Sistine Chapel, Rome (Sept) - worth waiting on line in the rain for 2 hrs
• Roman and Imperial Forum, Rome (Sept) - worth doing a private tour
• Salk Institute, San Diego (Oct)
• ArtHome, Palais du Tokyo, Paris (Nov) - food meets design/art. Read the review.
• Louvre, Paris (Nov) - re-visited Venus de Milo, Winged Victory & La Jaconde
• Cite L'Architecture, Palais Chaillot, Paris (Nov)

THEATRE/MUSIC

• Met Opera Backstage Tour (March) - we took my parents on a saturday afternoon and it was a good way to see behind the scenes.
• Alan Cumming, Rose Hall (Feb) - if you can ever see him in person or perform, do it.
• Next to Normal (June) - thought it was going to be another coming out musical but it was not. recommend it if you love bold lyrics and heartbreaking story.
• U2, Giants Stadium (Sept) - amazing spectacle
• Aida, Met Opera HD - got to eat popcorn and watch live opera. (November)
• Brief Encounter, Noel Coward, St Anne's Warehouse Brooklyn (December)

WROTE/PUBLISHED:

• Minding the Snore, New York Press
• Talk to Me About My Pet, Our Town and West Side Spirit
• Clean Plates -- I only named it. Jared Koch wrote it. Fabulous guide to healthier eating too
• Real Simple Life Lessons Essay -- on my mugging when I first moved to NYC (waiting to hear)
• Advertising Age DigitalNext pieces (5)
• Lots more - will update