“In the Tules” by Bret Harte He had never seen a steamboat in his life. Born and reared in one of the Western Territories, far from a navigable river, he had only known the “dugout” or canoe as a means of conveyance across the scant streams whose fordable waters made even those scarcely a necessity.… Continue reading “In the Tules,” a short story by Bret Harte
Unspeakable Practices, Unnatural Acts, Donald Barthelme. Bantam Books, first edition, first printing (1969). No cover artist credited. 165 pages. While there is no artist credited for the frenetic, Boschian cover of this Bantam edition of Unspeakable Practces, it is likely the work of Steele Savage — compare it in particular with Savage’s cover for Ballantine’s… Continue reading Mass-market Monday | Donald Barthelme’s Unspeakable Practices, Unspeakable Acts
Last August, I took part in one of Electronic Book Review’s “Gaddis Centenary” roundtables. Our discussion was on “Para-Academic Venues for Discussing Gaddis,” and that conversation is live on EBR now. I really enjoyed talking with the other invitees, although I felt a bit out of my league. The roundtable included Victoria Harding, who managed… Continue reading The William Gaddis Centenary roundtable on “Para-Academic Venues for Discussing Gaddis” I took part in last summer is up now at Electronic Book Review (as well as other Gaddis stuff too)
RIP John Barth, 1930-2024 John Barth died yesterday at the age of 93. Between 1956 and 2011, he published thirteen novels and four short story collections. He also published a quartet of nonfiction books—his “Friday” books—that collected the many essays, introductions, lectures, and other pieces he wrote in his life time. The title of the… Continue reading RIP John Barth
Q: Do you find some such qualities in a neglected novel, William Gaddis’ The Recognitions? Barth: I know that book only by sight. 950 pages: longer than The Sot-Weed Factor. Somebody asked me to review the new reprint of it, but I said I couldn’t think of anything worth saying in literature that can’t be… Continue reading I couldn’t think of anything worth saying in literature that can’t be said in 806 pages | John Barth on The Recognitions
In John Barth’s 1989 New York Times eulogy for Donald Barthelme, Barth gives a brief description of two so-called postmodernist dinners, both of which I’ve written on this blog before. …though [Barthelme] tsked at the critical tendency to group certain writers against certain others ”as if we were football teams” – praising these as the true… Continue reading John Barth’s brief description of Donald Barthelme’s so-called postmodernist dinners
Q: You don’t consciously see yourself as John Barth, the postmodernist? JOHN BARTH: Oh no, no, and the term now has become so stretched out of shape. I did a good deal of reading on the subject for a postmodernist conference in Stuttgart back in 1991, and I think I had a fairly solid grasp… Continue reading You don’t consciously see yourself as John Barth, the postmodernist?
“Good-bye to the Fruits” by John Barth I agreed to die, stipulating only that I first be permitted to rebehold and bid good-bye to those of Earth’s fruits that I had particularly enjoyed in my not-extraordinary lifetime.What I had in mind, in the first instance, was such literal items as apples and oranges. Of the… Continue reading “Good-bye to the Fruits” — John Barth
I left off fifty years ago, in 1974, in my silly response list to The Atlantic’s silly list of “The Great American Novels.” Today, here’s the rest of my run, spanning 1975-1999. 1975 The Atlantic selected Corregidora, Gayle Jones Biblioklept selects J R, William Gaddis The Dead Father, Donald Barthelme 1976 The Atlantic selected Speedboat,… Continue reading An alternative list to The Atlantic’s “The Great American Novels” list (Part II, 1975-1999)
The Atlantic released a list of “The Great American Novels” today, purportedly covering the last one hundred years of American fiction. The list is not terrible, but lists as organizing principles are always up for interrogation. 1924 The Atlantic did not select a novel from 1924 for their list, despite their claim that they “narrowed our… Continue reading An alternative list to The Atlantic’s “The Great American Novels” list (Part I, 1924-1974)
“The Quarterback Speaks to His God” by Herbert Wilner Bobby Kraft, the heroic old pro, lies in his bed in the grip of medicines relieving his ailing heart. Sometimes he tells his doctor your pills beat my ass, and the doctor says it’s still Kraft’s choice; medicine or open heart surgery. Kraft shuts up.… Continue reading “The Quarterback Speaks to His God,” a story by Herbert Wilner
“The Temptation of St. Anthony” by Donald Barthelme YES, THE saint was underrated quite a bit, then, mostly by people who didn’t like things that were ineffable. I think that’s quite understandable—that kind of thing can be extremely irritating, to some people. After all, everything is hard enough without having to deal with something that… Continue reading “The Temptation of St. Anthony,” a short story by Donald Barthelme
Ever since the birth of our nation, White America has had a schizophrenic personality on the question of race. She has been torn between selves: one in which she proudly professes the great principle of democracy, and another in which she madly practices the antithesis of democracy. This tragic duality has produced a strange indecisiveness… Continue reading Ever since the birth of our nation, White America has had a schizophrenic personality on the question of race | Martin Luther King Jr.
Study for Degenerate Art, 2022 by Adrian Ghenie (b. 1977)
There were two vessels, the Ouachita and the City of Camden, and they ran on about a two-week cycle—New Orleans-Camden-New Orleans, with stops along the way. The round-trip fare, including a bed and all meals, was $50. Traditional steamboat decorum was imposed, with the men required to wear coats in the dining room. At night,… Continue reading It was Dee Brown of Little Rock, the author of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee | Charles Portis
The Bathos, 1764 by William Hogarth (1697-1764)
“The Ghost Ships: A Christmas Story” by Angela Carter Therefore that whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forebearing of labor, feasting, or any other way upon any such account aforesaid, every person so offending shall pay for every offense five shillings as a fine to the… Continue reading “The Ghost Ships: A Christmas Story” by Angela Carter
Biblioklept 