October 9th, 2009 / 3:36 pm
Author Spotlight & Technology

Sam Lipsyte on WTF. (Updated a little.)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up0IP9fQu9Q

Marc Maron, a pretty damn funny comedian and former Air America broadcaster, has moved his ranty, neurotic brilliance to a podcast called WTF.

Most of the time, he spends the “interview” portion of the podcast talking to fellow comedians, but a recent episode featured a writer I assume is beloved by Giant readers: Sam Lipsyte.

A couple of highlights. Maron at one point says: “I’ve asked you, when you’ve started novels, what it’s about, you’re like ‘I don’t know, I’m working around these two sentences.'”

And discussing Lipsyte’s lack of a website, and FSG’s suggestions that Lipsyte get a little more online savvy to help sell a few books, Sam says: “They can’t order you to tweet. It’s not that kind of society yet.”

An in-depth, craft-based writing discussion? Nah. Who the hell wants that all the time. Instead its two friends talking and making each other laugh. Sam also reads from his upcoming novel, The Ask. It’s worth it for that alone.

A couple of hours after I wrote this post, this arrived in my mail:

sammy

Huh? Tonight I will be posting about the deed to a modest house on Bainbridge Island and a case of Tripel Karmeliet. And possibly a lot of Xanax.

20 Comments

  1. Catherine Lacey

      I say let’s build Sam Lipsyte a website pro bono. It’s like having a business card at this point, right?

  2. Catherine Lacey

      I say let’s build Sam Lipsyte a website pro bono. It’s like having a business card at this point, right?

  3. Lincoln

      The Ask is gonna be massive

  4. Lincoln

      The Ask is gonna be massive

  5. Matthew Simmons

      Yes and yes.

  6. Matthew Simmons

      Yes and yes.

  7. Gian

      Who is that in the picture?

  8. Gian

      Who is that in the picture?

  9. Matthew Simmons

      Behind the book? Me.

  10. Matthew Simmons

      Behind the book? Me.

  11. Gian

      Oh shit. You have a copy already?

      jealous

  12. Gian

      Oh shit. You have a copy already?

      jealous

  13. Matthew Simmons

      Oh, yeah. The book arrived. A person didn’t send me a photo of himself holding a copy of the book.

      That would’ve been kind of funny, though. I probably wouldn’t have updated the post with the image if it was just some dude taunting me.

      Maybe I should’ve put a little “UPDATE” line above the image.

      There are two hippie-looking girls either a) sharing a cigarette or b) sharing a joint outside the post office across the street from where I work. If I write about them, maybe they will come to the other side of the street and smoke it beneath my window, as second hand smoke is the only nicotine smoking I do anymore. Or, maybe I’ll get a contact high.

      Nope, they left.

  14. Matthew Simmons

      Oh, yeah. The book arrived. A person didn’t send me a photo of himself holding a copy of the book.

      That would’ve been kind of funny, though. I probably wouldn’t have updated the post with the image if it was just some dude taunting me.

      Maybe I should’ve put a little “UPDATE” line above the image.

      There are two hippie-looking girls either a) sharing a cigarette or b) sharing a joint outside the post office across the street from where I work. If I write about them, maybe they will come to the other side of the street and smoke it beneath my window, as second hand smoke is the only nicotine smoking I do anymore. Or, maybe I’ll get a contact high.

      Nope, they left.

  15. KevinS

      MS-I got that book at work too! Holy shit!! It’s one of those times when I involuntarily whoop and holler and do a little dance. Lipsyte IS beloved!

  16. KevinS

      MS-I got that book at work too! Holy shit!! It’s one of those times when I involuntarily whoop and holler and do a little dance. Lipsyte IS beloved!

  17. MG

      Based on that little bit he read, I now know I need to read everything by Sam Lipsyte I can find. Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez.

  18. MG

      Based on that little bit he read, I now know I need to read everything by Sam Lipsyte I can find. Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez.

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      […] week: an end to my ignorance of Sam Lipsyte outside of his appearances on Marc Maron’s podcast, having today picked up his 2000 short story collection Venus Drive out of some rare compulsion […]