If you are in any way a literary person, you must read Tom McCarthy’s Remainder. Throw everything down. Forget that passable novel you’re reading. This is the real deal.
I will have considerably more to say about this extraordinary book later.
Author / Edward Champion
It’s the Books, Stupid
An anonymous comment at the National Book Critics Circle blog:
Has book coverage started on Truthdig? If it has, it’s very invisible on the home page. Second, those of us who are interested in literature and literary culture wish all you folks would stop talking about yourselves for a few minutes and start reviewing some more books. Most of you work from assignment, so you can’t necessarily be blamed, but since we can read any book review we want these days, why do we have to read so many reviews of the same twenty books every week. That this “campaign” to save book reviewing takes up so much of your attention is only further evidence of how important you all think you are. It’s actually the books that are important and so many of them–books that are often far more interesting than the few that you sheep are all getting your two cents in about every week–just disappear without a bit of attention. If literature is to survive, it has to do something that movies don’t do, it has to move forward, it has to grow. This hammering away at Delillo, Chabon, Díaz by all of you at once is downright boring. Folks who read are looking for a disovery, not the same old same old. Your homogeneity spells the death of culture in this country. If, indeed, we ever had one.
In Cases of Rebellion or Invasion
Fuck you, Washington. Fuck you very much.
“The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.” — Article One, Section 9, U.S. Constitution
So here’s the question. Who’s invading and who’s rebelling? I’d really like an answer as to how we are now enforcing public safety.
The Final Shreds of PGW: How Low Can You Go?
Publishers Weekly: “In what is likely one of the last sales of note in the AMS bankruptcy proceedings, the distributor and the Perseus Books Group have filed a motion with the bankruptcy court seeking its approval to sell the PGW name and office leases in Berkeley, Calif., and New York City to Perseus for $80,000. According to the motion, the sale involves ‘all intellectual property associated with the PGW and Publishers Group West marks and names, including but not limited to brand, logo and naming rights.’ The purchase also includes the signs above the front doors and reception desks at the New York and Berkeley locations. In addition, Perseus will pick up office equipment, furniture and data.”
Poetry Reading Details
It will be Thursday at 6:30 PM at the Bowery Poetry Club! A two-man tribute to Gregory Corso that was rehearsed with some finesse by both parties less than 24 hours ago!