Nicholas Kaufmann's Journal

My interview with pgtremblay is now live at Fear Zone. We talk a lot about his first novel, The Little Sleep, and about his life as a math teacher, but this being Fear Zone we also spend a lot of time talking about his background in horror, the Shirley Jackson Awards, and Creature Double Feature.

Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is coming under heavy criticism this morning for statements he made yesterday, in Brasília at a joint press conference with Gordon Brown, the UK prime minister, attributing the global economic crisis to white bankers with blue eyes. Affectionately known as “Lula,” Brazil’s leader, a former shoe-shine boy and founder of the Worker’s Party, said: “This crisis was caused by the irrational behavior of white people with blue eyes, who before the crisis appeared to know everything and now demonstrate that they know nothing....I do not know any black or indigenous bankers so I can only say [it is wrong] that this part of mankind which is victimized more than any other should pay for the crisis.”

Boy is Richard Dean Parsons, the chairman of Citigroup, going to be surprised to learn he's white!