• Regrettably, in 2005, this "weekly" books column did not appear in The Stranger during the weeks of January 6, February 3, February 17, April 7, May 26, June 9, June 23, July 21, July 28, August 4, September 1, September 29, October 6, October 13, November 3, and November 24. This speaks to (1) the scarcity of book news and gossip in Seattle; (2) columnist Christopher Frizzelle's willingness to take vacations; and (3) Mr. Frizzelle's flexibility in letting other arts sections use space otherwise allocated to him when he has absolutely nothing to write about.
• In his February 10 column, Mr. Frizzelle wrote about going to a "swap meet" party where he'd found some books he wanted: Aspects of the Novel by E. M. Forster and Best American Short Stories 1991. Unfortunately, Mr. Frizzelle hadn't understood the nature of the party and hadn't brought anything good to swap. When Mr. Frizzelle approached the lady with the books and explained his situation, she said, "I'm wasting my time with you." Whereupon Mr. Frizzelle lost his mind. The column he wrote was supposed to be about the ridiculousness of losing one's mind over two books that are easily found in used bookstores, a state Mr. Frizzelle tried to dramatize by working the language of the column into a hotheaded, hateful, anxious fit, culminating in his insane declaration that he "fucking hated" the woman whose books he wanted, but the column was so sloppily slapped together that it came off as a screed against the woman with the books who clearly was just playing by the rules of the party. Mr. Frizzelle regrets nearly every aspect of that column, including (1) his use of the f-word; (2) writing a screed, which is easy, rather than the more complicated column he intended to write; (3) the aside about another woman at the party whose breasts "looked like bread dough," which is a regrettable way of saying "...were pale and dimply," and was gratuitous anyway, since those breasts and their texture had nothing to do with anything; and (4) the fact that no one who was at that party speaks to him anymore, which he totally deserves.
• In his December 15 column, Mr. Frizzelle wrote that bookstores in Portland "carry things you'd never find here," including the Dutch magazine Butt. It has since come to Mr. Frizzelle's attention that it is difficult to find Butt in Seattle (Elliott Bay Book Company, University Book Store, Third Place Books, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Broadway News, Bulldog News, and Left Bank Books don't carry it) but not impossible (Bailey/Coy Books, Confounded Books, and Babeland do). He regrets the error.
