Discourse posts bore me to death, but this approach redeems the genre. Fewer righteous manifestos built on quicksand, more Borgesian whimsy—that's what we need. This is good stuff.
I loved The English Understand Wool (whereas The Last Samurai, not so much), I've read the New Yorker profile of Helen DeWitt and I'm aware of the recent award imbroglio .... but I'm not plugged in/savvy enough to 'get' the point of this. Oh well.
I think "the point" is mostly just using a real life person/event as a jumping off point for a lightly fictionalised parable. The moral of the story, if there is one, seems to "mythology misses multifacets," or something to that effect.
As in, we're supposed to read the parable and go wow, that's just crazy! And then realize that it kinda happened IRL? But...AFAIK, DeWitt hasn't published dozens of books under other names, and hasn't invented awards...? I'm feeling so mid.
Did not expect the turn this one took at the end. I like the theme of pleasant work vs unpleasant work. People will devote years to something with no reward because it's fun, but refuse 20k because it's not fun. Very true.
Ohhhhh, I LOVE THIS ONE! It is so much fun and such a great pairing with your recent post about The Fountainhead (one of my all time favorites.) As always, thank you for sharing with us.
That story is sad and I guess profound because of her iability to conform to societal norms so she was stuck forever. U understand. No one could help, they tried. Try to tell me, is that absurd or just the edge stubbornness. I guess that is why Substack was invented. God tried to send help, refusing all attempts to help, you die.
Anonymity may be the only sane path left to anyone who wishes to put "pen to paper" as we say. The whole Identity thing has become such a drag. An anchor. A grenade. We no longer wish to avoid the persecutions of the monarchy or the politburo. Now we wan to avoid the persecutions of our friends and our family.
God, I hope people are going to be normal about this. Get behind me, oomf. You have my sword, Ms Kanakia.
Also delighted at the puckish mythology-inventing troll. Get this lady onto 4Chan, she'd love it.
Discourse posts bore me to death, but this approach redeems the genre. Fewer righteous manifestos built on quicksand, more Borgesian whimsy—that's what we need. This is good stuff.
Wasn't a lot of Borges' early fiction highly detailed reviews of books or movies that didn't exist?
This is excellent. I did not see that twist coming!
I loved The English Understand Wool (whereas The Last Samurai, not so much), I've read the New Yorker profile of Helen DeWitt and I'm aware of the recent award imbroglio .... but I'm not plugged in/savvy enough to 'get' the point of this. Oh well.
I think "the point" is mostly just using a real life person/event as a jumping off point for a lightly fictionalised parable. The moral of the story, if there is one, seems to "mythology misses multifacets," or something to that effect.
The message I personally took from it was: sometimes you need to bite the bullet and do the boring work too.
As in, we're supposed to read the parable and go wow, that's just crazy! And then realize that it kinda happened IRL? But...AFAIK, DeWitt hasn't published dozens of books under other names, and hasn't invented awards...? I'm feeling so mid.
I emotionally need this to be true to heal me from reading Gwendoline Riley, so I'm just going to decide it is
The difficulty of others is a major theme in her work…
I relate to this character.
Did not expect the turn this one took at the end. I like the theme of pleasant work vs unpleasant work. People will devote years to something with no reward because it's fun, but refuse 20k because it's not fun. Very true.
Ohhhhh, I LOVE THIS ONE! It is so much fun and such a great pairing with your recent post about The Fountainhead (one of my all time favorites.) As always, thank you for sharing with us.
Your ending 😂
The Foucaults Pendulum of literary prize conspiracy: write about it enough that it manifests
I was thinking of Eco too!
Eco friendly!
That story is sad and I guess profound because of her iability to conform to societal norms so she was stuck forever. U understand. No one could help, they tried. Try to tell me, is that absurd or just the edge stubbornness. I guess that is why Substack was invented. God tried to send help, refusing all attempts to help, you die.
I have disagreed with you about many things, Naomi, but this is f*cking hilarious.
Anonymity may be the only sane path left to anyone who wishes to put "pen to paper" as we say. The whole Identity thing has become such a drag. An anchor. A grenade. We no longer wish to avoid the persecutions of the monarchy or the politburo. Now we wan to avoid the persecutions of our friends and our family.
Gosh ! This is an excellent story! 💖Love your writing. ♥️I was drawn in straight away.
the part about the fake reviews and authors immediately made me think of Bolaño … loved that departure from the source topic