Probably no title today. So.
Michael Kimball wrote my life story on a postcard and sent it to me, as per his brilliant project. It arrived a couple of days ago. He did a really excellent job distilling the five or six pages of rambling down to about four or five hundred words. He must have used a super fine tipped pen to write so small and fit all of that onto a postcard. People should keep sending Michael Kimball their life stories and have him write it on a postcard. He is good at it, and it's fun. Check out the latest life story; this time it's Red Delicious Apple. Awesome. And, while we're here, you know, Dear Everybody, soon, like in September soon.
I met with Gina Myers earlier this week for coffee and a book exchange and some talking. Gina grew up in Saginaw, went to Central Michigan U, and then to The New School in New York City, where she earned her MFA. She is a poet who edits the tiny, a poetry journal, and runs Lame House Press. She is very laid back and down to earth. I was happy about that. And it was very nice to talk to someone, especially someone who has lived in New York City, the center of the universe, who could come back and still like, even love, Saginaw. Most people would just as soon say, Blow it up and let it recivilize. She gave me a copy of the tiny and some chapbooks she published (printed and bound by hand) through Lame House. The chapbooks are gorgeous; they look and feel as excellent as the goods coming out of Publishing Genius. I am looking forward to reading these. Gina also has some badass tattoo sleeves.
Here is an interview with Gina Myers with some of her poetry at the end.
And some of Gina's poetry in MiPOesias.
Everyone, I would like to congratulate Matt Bell on winning this year's Million Writers Award, with all of the money and acclaim that goes along with it. His story "Alex Trebek Never Eats Fried Chicken" was first published in Storyglossia and has pretty much eaten a hole in the world and made a place for itself. Nice job, Matt, and congrats!
Read Matt's acceptance speech.
I think some sort of investigation may take place in Hemlock, Michigan, to find out if there is/was something in the soil, water, or air that seems to grow writers. Last week, I mentioned Tom Fleischmann, a University of Iowa student studying creative nonfiction, who has a new piece entitled "Fist" in the new issue of Pleiades, as well as work published or forthcoming in Mid-American Review, Hayden's Ferry Review, Quarterly West, and elsewhere. Well, Tom also graduated from Hemlock High School, a year or two behind me, I think. And Matt Bell (see above) graduated a year ahead of me. While I'm not as accomplished as Tom and Matt, I think it's interesting that the three of us came out of Hemlock within three or four years, especially considering the fact that the school had a population of about 400.
Also: Hemlock is named perfectly.
I'm just saying.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Umberto Eco interview in The Paris Review
To promote/advertise Umberto Eco's new book On Ugliness, he gave an interview for the new issue of the Paris Review. I haven't read any of Eco's fiction or philosophy. Notta. Years ago, when I told a philosophy professor that I was really interested in the intersection of literature and philosophy, he recommended Eco's novel The Name of the Rose. I haven't read it yet, but I haven't forgotten it either.
Anyway, Eco seems like a low-key Slavoj Zizek with his sharp sarcastic sense of humor. He says some interesting things that I will now quote mostly out of context of the interview and maybe reframe them in my own context.
Here's a good line: "I was at that time a great writer of unaccomplished masterpieces."
And another re: poetic youth: "I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation."
Here:
I will do this: "But if you give me fifty dollars, I will write you an essay about the parallels between our time and the time of the Neanderthals."
This is interesting:
Eco is asked if he is still obsessed with television. He says, "I suspect that there is no serious scholar who doesn't like to watch television. I'm just the only one who confesses." This thread continues:
I laughed for awhile after I read that while sitting on the toilet.
I loved this exchange, too:
Good stuff. I think that is probably the comment that reminds me of Zizek the most. And here I am going to present a question and answer that supports my continuously saying that philosophy is simply another genre of fiction.
This quote also confirms for me the fact that what I thought was a clever insight into the relationship between fiction and philosophy was really only impressive to me. It's important to humble oneself on occasion. Sometimes, I think I overdo it, though. So I am going to practice more pride and arrogance.
Speaking of laziness, I haven't read anything else in the issue yet, but I would say that the Eco interview is worth getting your hands on in some way. I would recommend a subscription, though. Because, you know, they're probably pretty strapped at the ol' Paris Review. No, probably not, but just an issue or two ago there was a kickin' story by Jesse Ball, which won the Plimpton Prize for Fiction. I don't really know why I'm trying to convince anyone to subscribe to The Paris Review as though no one has heard of it. Stupid.
I think I'm just trying to share some stuff about the Umberto Eco interview that I found interesting. Let's say that.
"I always assume that a good book is more intelligent than its author. It can say things that the writer is not aware of," Eco says.
When asked about being criticized for being too 'erudite', "that the main appeal to your work for a lay reader is the humiliation he feels for his own ignorance, which translates into a naive admiration for your pyrotechnics," Eco says, "Am I a sadist? I don't know. An exhibitionist? Maybe. I am joking. Of course not! I have not worked so much in my life in order to pile knowledge before my readers. My knowledge quite literally informs the intricate construction of my novels. Then it is up to my readers to detect what they might."
Here is something recent and relevant, an interesting take on the specter of literary apocalypse:
And when asked what he would say to "the fearmongers," Eco says, "Culture is continuously adapting to new situations. There will probably be a different culture, but there will be a culture . . . But thrilling new forms will continue to emerge and literature will survive."
So, I've probably quoted about five times the allowed word count, but there it is. Umberto Eco, none of whose fiction I have read yet, gave an interview and said some things that cause me to laugh, to nod, to think, Hmm, I dunno about that, but I'm not as smart or famous as Umberto Eco and he's probably thought things through more than I did just now after reading what he said.
Soon: something about the new issue of Pleiades's book reviews and something else about the soil, water, and/or air in Hemlock, Michigan.
Anyway, Eco seems like a low-key Slavoj Zizek with his sharp sarcastic sense of humor. He says some interesting things that I will now quote mostly out of context of the interview and maybe reframe them in my own context.
Here's a good line: "I was at that time a great writer of unaccomplished masterpieces."
And another re: poetic youth: "I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation."
Here:
INTERVIEWER
To what extent are your novels autobiographical?ECO
In some way I think every novel is. When you imagine a character, you lend him or her some of your personal memories. You give part of yourself to character number one and another part to character number two. In this sense, I am not writing any sort of autobiography, but the novels are my autobiography. There's a difference.
I will do this: "But if you give me fifty dollars, I will write you an essay about the parallels between our time and the time of the Neanderthals."
This is interesting:
INTERVIEWER
In Foucault's Pendulum you write, "The more elusive and ambiguous a symbol is, the more it gains significance and power."ECO
A secret is powerful when it is empty. People often mention the "Masonic secret." What on earth is the Masonic secret? No one can tell. As long as it remains empty it can be filled up with every possible notion, and it has power.
Eco is asked if he is still obsessed with television. He says, "I suspect that there is no serious scholar who doesn't like to watch television. I'm just the only one who confesses." This thread continues:
INTERVIEWER
Are there any shows that you particularly love?ECO
The police series. Starsky and Hutch, for instance.INTERVIEWER
That show doesn't exist anymore. It's from the seventies.
I laughed for awhile after I read that while sitting on the toilet.
I loved this exchange, too:
INTERVIEWER
Have you read The Da Vinci Code?ECO
Yes, I am guilty of that too.INTERVIEWER
That novel seems like a bizarre little offshoot of Foucault's Pendulum.ECO
The author, Dan Brown, is a character from Foucault's Pendulum! I invented him. He shares my characters' fascination--the world conspiracy of Rosicrucians, Masons, and Jesuits. The role of the Knights Templar. The hermetic secret. The principle that everything is connected. I suspect Dan Brown might not even exist.
Good stuff. I think that is probably the comment that reminds me of Zizek the most. And here I am going to present a question and answer that supports my continuously saying that philosophy is simply another genre of fiction.
INTERVIEWER
Why didn't you begin writing novels until you were forty-eight years old?ECO
It wasn't as much of a leap as everyone seems to think, because even in my doctoral thesis, even in my theorizing, I was already creating narratives. I have long thought that what most philosophical books are really doing at the core is telling the story of their research, just as scientists will explain how they came to make their major discoveries. So I feel that I was telling stories all along, just in a slightly different style.
This quote also confirms for me the fact that what I thought was a clever insight into the relationship between fiction and philosophy was really only impressive to me. It's important to humble oneself on occasion. Sometimes, I think I overdo it, though. So I am going to practice more pride and arrogance.
Speaking of laziness, I haven't read anything else in the issue yet, but I would say that the Eco interview is worth getting your hands on in some way. I would recommend a subscription, though. Because, you know, they're probably pretty strapped at the ol' Paris Review. No, probably not, but just an issue or two ago there was a kickin' story by Jesse Ball, which won the Plimpton Prize for Fiction. I don't really know why I'm trying to convince anyone to subscribe to The Paris Review as though no one has heard of it. Stupid.
I think I'm just trying to share some stuff about the Umberto Eco interview that I found interesting. Let's say that.
"I always assume that a good book is more intelligent than its author. It can say things that the writer is not aware of," Eco says.
When asked about being criticized for being too 'erudite', "that the main appeal to your work for a lay reader is the humiliation he feels for his own ignorance, which translates into a naive admiration for your pyrotechnics," Eco says, "Am I a sadist? I don't know. An exhibitionist? Maybe. I am joking. Of course not! I have not worked so much in my life in order to pile knowledge before my readers. My knowledge quite literally informs the intricate construction of my novels. Then it is up to my readers to detect what they might."
Here is something recent and relevant, an interesting take on the specter of literary apocalypse:
INTERVIEWER
What do you make of those who proclaim the death of the novel, the death of books, the death of reading?ECO
To believe in the end of something is a typical cultural posture. Since the Greeks and the Latins we have persisted in believing that our ancestors were better than us. I am always amused and interested by this kind of sport, which the mass media practice with increasing ferocity. Every season there is an article on the end of the novel, the end of literature, the end of literacy in America. People don't read any longer! Teenagers only play video games! The fact of the matter is that all over the world there are thousands of stores full of books and full of young people. Never in the history of mankind have there been so many books, so many places selling books, so many young people visiting these places and buying books.
And when asked what he would say to "the fearmongers," Eco says, "Culture is continuously adapting to new situations. There will probably be a different culture, but there will be a culture . . . But thrilling new forms will continue to emerge and literature will survive."
So, I've probably quoted about five times the allowed word count, but there it is. Umberto Eco, none of whose fiction I have read yet, gave an interview and said some things that cause me to laugh, to nod, to think, Hmm, I dunno about that, but I'm not as smart or famous as Umberto Eco and he's probably thought things through more than I did just now after reading what he said.
Soon: something about the new issue of Pleiades's book reviews and something else about the soil, water, and/or air in Hemlock, Michigan.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Marsupial Starbucks Crucifixion
Can it make sense that I'm so behind that I'm behind on blogging, too? I don't get paid or anything, but I've got things I want to post about.
This is going to be a quick scatter shot.
Well, it will be no surprise that I am going to link to something by Blake Butler. I know, shocking. So here it is: go check out the review/essay/post about Derek White's new novel Marsupial. Blake says things I agree with and find interesting: things about David Lynch's films, specifically Inland Empire and Eraserhead and Mulholland Drive; Blake talks about how Marsupial could have lost control of itself and spun off into the oblivion of empty experimental 'noodling', but does not; he says other things, too, that are interesting. He sold me a copy of White's novel after about three paragraphs. Granted, he could probably get me to purchase used underwear. But, still, he makes a persuasive case and I'm excited to get my copy of Marsupial. Marsupial. Marsupial.
Michael Kimball has posted Adam Robinson's life story, and it's one of the best yet. Kimball's project is going to be impressive when it is published next fall.
My god, my god, Starbucks is forsaking us.
I do not live within 40 miles of a body of water, but about a dozen sea gulls woke me up this morning. I felt like that was strange, like things are changing in the earth.
My copy of Jackie Corley's The Suburban Swindle came in the mail today. In the short time I was home, passing through at lunch time, I flipped through the book and I was blown away by line after line. I am stoked to read this collection.
It is hot out. I am happy about the heat.
I want to read every book in the world. Even the bad ones.
I usually quit reading stories that feature these elements:
A writer protagonist/main character
A very young "precocious" narrator
Hotwords like precocious, cacophony, denizens, etc, that function as code to inform the reader that they are in fact reading 'serious fiction'. Maybe I am just jealous of superior lexicons. No, vocabularies.
That new Burger King commercial where the King has kids and his small silent mini-King kid kicks him in the shins creeps me out.
More soon. Soon soon. Mon soon. Monson. Neck Deep. Soon.
This is going to be a quick scatter shot.
Well, it will be no surprise that I am going to link to something by Blake Butler. I know, shocking. So here it is: go check out the review/essay/post about Derek White's new novel Marsupial. Blake says things I agree with and find interesting: things about David Lynch's films, specifically Inland Empire and Eraserhead and Mulholland Drive; Blake talks about how Marsupial could have lost control of itself and spun off into the oblivion of empty experimental 'noodling', but does not; he says other things, too, that are interesting. He sold me a copy of White's novel after about three paragraphs. Granted, he could probably get me to purchase used underwear. But, still, he makes a persuasive case and I'm excited to get my copy of Marsupial. Marsupial. Marsupial.
Michael Kimball has posted Adam Robinson's life story, and it's one of the best yet. Kimball's project is going to be impressive when it is published next fall.
My god, my god, Starbucks is forsaking us.
I do not live within 40 miles of a body of water, but about a dozen sea gulls woke me up this morning. I felt like that was strange, like things are changing in the earth.
My copy of Jackie Corley's The Suburban Swindle came in the mail today. In the short time I was home, passing through at lunch time, I flipped through the book and I was blown away by line after line. I am stoked to read this collection.
It is hot out. I am happy about the heat.
I want to read every book in the world. Even the bad ones.
I usually quit reading stories that feature these elements:
A writer protagonist/main character
A very young "precocious" narrator
Hotwords like precocious, cacophony, denizens, etc, that function as code to inform the reader that they are in fact reading 'serious fiction'. Maybe I am just jealous of superior lexicons. No, vocabularies.
That new Burger King commercial where the King has kids and his small silent mini-King kid kicks him in the shins creeps me out.
More soon. Soon soon. Mon soon. Monson. Neck Deep. Soon.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Doll Steak // Test Meat
I am still alive. Posting quickly.
Blake said good, pointed things on his blog regarding the apparent apathy for books and lit among hipsters (does this terms apply solely to indie 'scene kid' types?). Blake seems to be mostly in agreement with what Adam Robinson said on his blog.
The venerable Sean Lovelace has just given birth to a beautiful blog. Folks should already know about Sean Lovelace. If not, he writes fiction that will destroy your brain and make you hungry for more (see: So, This is Drink, Dream Diary Excerpts: Ingrid Bergman, 1951, and Meaning of Life #17), and reviews books for NewPages (see: here, and here).
In more news, I thrashed open my leg on a softball field that was pert near concrete with gravel sprinkled on top. Much blood/puss oozing. At least two socks ruined. Possibly screwed up my knee again.
Have finally finished editing my interview with Michael Kimball (who is really great to work with in every way). I am happy with how it came together. Said interview will run in the September update of Word Riot. Lickin' chops.
Got my copy of the new issue of Pleiades last week. Fine essay in there by a fellow graduate of Hemlock High School, Tom Fleischmann, who is now attending Iowa, and graduated from Grand Valley State University. In his essay entitled "Fist", Tom explores the many contexts and uses for the fist. Good work, Tom. I'm going to post more about this and the rest of the new Pleiades soon. Here's a teaser: Mark Halliday gives Joshua Clover's second book of poems, The Totality for Kids,
a very thorough going over; as in a scathing 21-page going over. But wait, there's more . . .
That took much longer than I expected.
Blake said good, pointed things on his blog regarding the apparent apathy for books and lit among hipsters (does this terms apply solely to indie 'scene kid' types?). Blake seems to be mostly in agreement with what Adam Robinson said on his blog.
The venerable Sean Lovelace has just given birth to a beautiful blog. Folks should already know about Sean Lovelace. If not, he writes fiction that will destroy your brain and make you hungry for more (see: So, This is Drink, Dream Diary Excerpts: Ingrid Bergman, 1951, and Meaning of Life #17), and reviews books for NewPages (see: here, and here).
In more news, I thrashed open my leg on a softball field that was pert near concrete with gravel sprinkled on top. Much blood/puss oozing. At least two socks ruined. Possibly screwed up my knee again.
Have finally finished editing my interview with Michael Kimball (who is really great to work with in every way). I am happy with how it came together. Said interview will run in the September update of Word Riot. Lickin' chops.
Got my copy of the new issue of Pleiades last week. Fine essay in there by a fellow graduate of Hemlock High School, Tom Fleischmann, who is now attending Iowa, and graduated from Grand Valley State University. In his essay entitled "Fist", Tom explores the many contexts and uses for the fist. Good work, Tom. I'm going to post more about this and the rest of the new Pleiades soon. Here's a teaser: Mark Halliday gives Joshua Clover's second book of poems, The Totality for Kids,
a very thorough going over; as in a scathing 21-page going over. But wait, there's more . . .That took much longer than I expected.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
FC2 Moving to University of Houston-Victoria
This via the NewPages blog.
Fiction Collective Two has been booted from their HQ at Florida State University. Thankfully, some major legwork was done and FC2 will have a new home at The University of Houston-Victoria. I'm very sad to hear, though, that the brilliant Brenda Mills will not be going with and continuing to function as FC2's executive editor. Brenda was one of the handful of early readers (thanks to Denise Hill) of Distractus Refractus Ontologicus: The Dissemination of Michael Martone and encouraged me in a huge way. Denise is absolutely right in saying that Brenda will be missed, but that it is certainly understandable that moving her family from Florida to Texas was not doable. The good news: FC2 will live on. Now is a perfect time to show some love and buy a book or five. So much amazing innovative writing. Check out what's coming up in Fall 2008.
Fiction Collective Two has been booted from their HQ at Florida State University. Thankfully, some major legwork was done and FC2 will have a new home at The University of Houston-Victoria. I'm very sad to hear, though, that the brilliant Brenda Mills will not be going with and continuing to function as FC2's executive editor. Brenda was one of the handful of early readers (thanks to Denise Hill) of Distractus Refractus Ontologicus: The Dissemination of Michael Martone and encouraged me in a huge way. Denise is absolutely right in saying that Brenda will be missed, but that it is certainly understandable that moving her family from Florida to Texas was not doable. The good news: FC2 will live on. Now is a perfect time to show some love and buy a book or five. So much amazing innovative writing. Check out what's coming up in Fall 2008.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Independent Publishing is Actually Very Tall; It's Just been Sitting Down
Everyone: Jimmy Chen has a piece about Georges Auric at Everyday Yeah in the "People Who Died in 1983" section. I like Jimmy Chen's writing. I feel similar to him when I read it.
Hey, more online writing has been listed/linked in the comments at Ryan Call's blog post regarding these kinds of things. A fine list of online fiction is linked there.
Here's an article in The Guardian, which I first saw on Matt Bell's blog and mentioned again by Scott Esposito at Conversational Reading.
The column talks about how writers can't really be "indie" and get any attention from reviewers. Esposito argues that the column has rather large blind spots when he says:
Matt points to review outlets such as NewPages, Rain Taxi, Bookslut, etc, and I think he makes a good point about the growing relevance of these resources devoted to what's going on in the independent and small press publishing world. Sure, maybe they're still mostly relevant to writers and writing programs, but there does seem to be a shift taking place and the small and independent presses are getting more respect and attention than many people may think. Like I said, independent publishing is actually very tall, it's just been sitting down.
Hey, more online writing has been listed/linked in the comments at Ryan Call's blog post regarding these kinds of things. A fine list of online fiction is linked there.
Here's an article in The Guardian, which I first saw on Matt Bell's blog and mentioned again by Scott Esposito at Conversational Reading.
The column talks about how writers can't really be "indie" and get any attention from reviewers. Esposito argues that the column has rather large blind spots when he says:
"I imagine the close association of small presses with vanity presses would surprise the publishers of Grove, Cannongate (which has racked up enough Bookers to be the envy of any press), Soft Skull, Dalkey, and Archipelago, all of which, small or independent as they are, get plenty of national newspaper attention and would not ever be mistaken for a vanity press."
Matt points to review outlets such as NewPages, Rain Taxi, Bookslut, etc, and I think he makes a good point about the growing relevance of these resources devoted to what's going on in the independent and small press publishing world. Sure, maybe they're still mostly relevant to writers and writing programs, but there does seem to be a shift taking place and the small and independent presses are getting more respect and attention than many people may think. Like I said, independent publishing is actually very tall, it's just been sitting down.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Zachary Mason's The Lost Books of the Odyssey Reviewed in Gently Read Literature
Yet another glowing review of The Lost Books of the Odyssey, this time by Shawna Yang Ryan in the latest issue of Gently Read Literature. I reviewed/raved about Mason's stunning book in the last batch of reviews at NewPages. I'm glad to see this book still getting such positive attention.
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