Search Results for: art
Riff on the death of Cormac McCarthy
We were about an hour north of the border, driving a rented car from Quebec City to a hiker hostel our friends own in Maine, when I got a text from my uncle: “It seems your favorite author has died…” (The ellipses were part of his text.) At first, I thought he meant Thomas Pynchon,… Continue reading Riff on the death of Cormac McCarthy
A life obscene | On Cormac McCarthy’s early novel Child of God
In ancient Greek drama, acts of violence or sex were “ob skena,” relegated to offstage. Thus, the horrific violence of Oedipus gouging out his eyes is not shown, but rather reported by a messenger. We see the same tradition in Shakespeare, of course, as well as the modern novel. And while many writers elide scenes… Continue reading A life obscene | On Cormac McCarthy’s early novel Child of God
Selections from One-Star Amazon Reviews of Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian
[Editorial note: The following citations come from one-star Amazon reviews Cormac McCarthy’s novel Blood Meridian. I’ve preserved the reviewers’ original punctuation and spelling. More one-star Amazon reviews.]. It may be art. Damn McCarthy. I find him boring. unrelenting nihilism The story is thin at best. Are we supposed to enjoy it? I felt abused by Blood Meridian not a… Continue reading Selections from One-Star Amazon Reviews of Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian
Suttree, Cormac McCarthy’s Grand Synthesis of American Literature
In his 1992 interview with The New York Times, Cormac McCarthy said, “The ugly fact is books are made out of books. The novel depends for its life on the novels that have been written.” McCarthy’s fourth novel, 1979’s Suttree is such a book, a masterful synthesis of the great literature — particularly American literature — that came before… Continue reading Suttree, Cormac McCarthy’s Grand Synthesis of American Literature
The Hall of Spiders (An Illustration for Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast) — Charles W. Stewart
On the Way to the Doctor, 1974 by Charles W. Stewart (1915 – 2001). Part of a series of unpublished illustrations that were to illustrate Mervyn Peake’s 1950 novel, Gormenghast. (More here.)
In which I read Playboy for the Thomas Pynchon article
A few years ago I posted a brief excerpt from Jules Siegel’s March 1977 Playboy profile “Who is Thomas Pynchon… And Why Did He Take Off With My Wife?” The excerpt came from an excerpt posted on the Pynchon-L forum, but most of the article had been removed at the (apparent) request by Siegel. A few people sent me the… Continue reading In which I read Playboy for the Thomas Pynchon article
Read “The Flight of Pigeons from the Palace,” a very short story by Donald Barthelme
“The Flight of Pigeons from the Palace” by Donald Barthelme In the abandoned palazzo, weeds and old blankets filled the rooms. The palazzo was in bad shape. We cleaned the abandoned palazzo for ten years. We scoured the stones. The splendid architecture was furbished and painted. The doors and windows were dealt with. Then we… Continue reading Read “The Flight of Pigeons from the Palace,” a very short story by Donald Barthelme
Portrait of Mrs. Stuart Merrill — Jean Delville
Portrait of Mrs. Stuart Merrill, 1892 by Jean Delville (1867–1953)
The American novel starts off with Hawthorne, Melville, Poe—and it’s not a novel, it’s a reaction to the novel | Kathy Acker
BODDY: In In Memoriam you speak of Faulkner as “the American writer.” What is it about Faulkner that makes him “the American”? ACKER: First of all, there weren’t any novelists around then who weren’t just realists. The way I see it is that it starts off with Hawthorne and Melville—you have Cooper on one side,… Continue reading The American novel starts off with Hawthorne, Melville, Poe—and it’s not a novel, it’s a reaction to the novel | Kathy Acker
Minerva — Artemisia Gentileschi
Minerva, c. 1640–1651 by Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653)
Susanna and the Elders (After Artemisia Gentileschi) — Gina Siciliano
Susanna and the Elders (After Artemisia Gentileschi) by Gina Siciliano. From Siciliano’s brilliant biography, I Know What I Am: The Life and Times of Artemisia Gentileschi.
Portrait of Artemisia Gentileschi — Gina Siciliano
A portrait of the artist Artemisia Gentileschi by Gina Siciliano. From Siciliano’s brilliant biography, I Know What I Am: The Life and Times of Artemisia Gentileschi.
All games aspire to the condition of war | From McCarthy’s Blood Meridian
The judge smiled. Men are born for games. Nothing else. Every child knows that play is nobler than work. He knows too that the worth or merit of a game is not inherent in the game itself but rather in the value of that which is put at hazard. Games of chance require a wager… Continue reading All games aspire to the condition of war | From McCarthy’s Blood Meridian
The tale of the enemy padrino | From Cormac McCarthy’s novel Cities of the Plain
Why would a man want an enemy for a padrino? For the best of reasons. Or the worst. This man of whom we speak was a dying man when his lastborn came into the world. A son. His only son. So what did he do? He called upon that man who once had been a… Continue reading The tale of the enemy padrino | From Cormac McCarthy’s novel Cities of the Plain
Some people found the balloon “interesting” | Donald Barthelme
There were reactions. Some people found the balloon “interesting.” As a response this seemed inadequate to the immensity of the balloon, the suddenness of its appearance over the city, on the other hand, in the absence of hysteria or other societally induced anxiety, it must be judged a calm, “mature” one. There was a certain… Continue reading Some people found the balloon “interesting” | Donald Barthelme
Martin Riker’s The Guest Lecture (Book acquired, early January 2023)
Martin Riker’s The Guest Lecture is out now from Grove Atlantic. Their blurb– In a hotel room in the middle of the night, Abby, a young feminist economist, lies awake next to her sleeping husband and daughter. Anxious that she is grossly underprepared for a talk she is presenting tomorrow on optimism and John Maynard Keynes, she… Continue reading Martin Riker’s The Guest Lecture (Book acquired, early January 2023)
Biblioklept 