Guess which parts are which. But seriously--isn't this photo fucking gorgeous? Forget who it's a picture of for a second, and the fact that I found it on Gawker. Just look. Imagine it on a gallery wall. It's beautiful.
Tony O’Neill offers a pre-emptive FUCK YOU to Dr. Drew Pinsky for presumably planning to exploit the death of Corey Haim, and for being an asshole in general.
A controversial method of proselytizing to Muslims by starting with Jesus’s minor but significant role in the Koran, has generated–wait for it–controversy, drawing fire from Muslims and also some Christian groups. The procedure, naturally, is known as “The Camel Method.”
Kevin Wilson, author of Tunneling to the Center of the Earth, loves the blazing hell out of Scott McClanahan’s Stories II.
There is a simplicity to the writing that feels very much like traditional storytelling, like a conversation, the easy way the character allows you to come into his life for a little while to hear what he wants you to hear. Despite the humor, which sneaks up on you and floors you, the stories are bleak; almost all of them are set in West Virginia and the propects for most of the characters in the stories are not good. There is sadness everywhere in these stories. And what I’m going to say next is why I think I love these stories so much. Amidst the sadness, the ways in which everyone fails each other, there is such an amazing tenderness that lifts these stories up. I felt very tightly connected to these characters and was grateful for having been around their stories…
Funny, because I was just saying something similar to fellow-Giant Amy McDaniel over gchat yesterday morning (she’s a fan too). I said that McClanahan’s book reminded me of the subtly acerbic, realist-ish Richard Brautigan not of the novels but of the short stories, like say “1/3, 1/3, 1/3,” crossbred with the big-hearted schlubbery of the Larry Brown of “Big Bad Love.” McClanahan seems like the kind of guy who probably read Breece D’J Pancake and came away thinking, “yeah, okay, true, but dude–take a load off.” No kidding. That said, it must be admitted that McClanahan’s lightness can occasionally, like Brautigan again, bleed into slightness, but if the worst thing you can say about a writer is that his not-bogging-you-down occasionally manifests as it-floats-off-on-the-breeze, he and his book are still in pretty fine shape. Anyway, the upshot is that we are all very much charmed/impressed/pleased by Scott McClanahan, and you should see if maybe you are too.
It’s worth noting, by the by, that this is not Giant’s first time delighting in Scott McClanahan. Back in January, Sam Pink reviewed Stories II. That post also conatins a story from the book, “The Couple,” which I think is exemplary and swell. And back last June, pr enthused about the original, Stories. And Scott’s own site is here.
Tags: Kevin Wilson, Scott McClanahan, the CAMEL method, tony o'neill
Thanks for the sweet mention Mr. Taylor.
Thanks for the sweet mention Mr. Taylor.
My pleasure, sir. Thank you for the good pink book of fun.
My pleasure, sir. Thank you for the good pink book of fun.
beautiful picture
beautiful picture
Good to see McClanahan getting more love here. He’s doing something honest and heartfelt, and he deserves more readers.
Good to see McClanahan getting more love here. He’s doing something honest and heartfelt, and he deserves more readers.
I loved Stories II and blogged about it recently. Scott is a consummate storyteller and I cannot wait to read more from him. I go back to that book often because I find his prose so damn satisfying.
I loved Stories II and blogged about it recently. Scott is a consummate storyteller and I cannot wait to read more from him. I go back to that book often because I find his prose so damn satisfying.
They look like they’re in a special world of purple fairy dust.
They look like they’re in a special world of purple fairy dust.
O’Neill’s article is golden.
O’Neill’s article is golden.
Also, I read “Kidney Stones” by McClanahan… excellent story.
Also, I read “Kidney Stones” by McClanahan… excellent story.
Scott sent me his book for free. He is great.
Scott sent me his book for free. He is great.
No rancor possible. I like: That photo (yes, saw it on Gawker too), Breece D’J Pancake, Tony O’Neill’s take-down, spliffs vs. pipes/bongs, a girl named Casie, the Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven. That’s my 2c.
No rancor possible. I like: That photo (yes, saw it on Gawker too), Breece D’J Pancake, Tony O’Neill’s take-down, spliffs vs. pipes/bongs, a girl named Casie, the Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven. That’s my 2c.
Scott reads this Saturday at the Beep Beep Gallery in Atlanta, along with Jeremy Schmall and Lily Brown. 8pm !!!
Scott reads this Saturday at the Beep Beep Gallery in Atlanta, along with Jeremy Schmall and Lily Brown. 8pm !!!
Oh shit, totally skipped over what I am sure was super-interesting and worthwhile but nonetheless “retarded” (a personal term, I mean no angry-man offense, and I don’t mean downs or donkey-braying stupid, either. Much more retarded than that…) Christian/Muslim material. Nice sum up. Good enough for me. The image of humans standing in a desert arguing the finer points of theology and biography, involving everyone’s favorite Nazarene, makes me feel just too “all over again” to keep going. I mean, I’m in the desert, I try and figure a way the fuck out… Justin, I expect the sense you have of D’J is like my rancorous predisposition to religion. Suffering to take a load off, my sawing logs like Richard Dawkins does nothing to dun the prayer mills. One ends up seeking transcendence for a self-made problem. Why I read Gawker.
Oh shit, totally skipped over what I am sure was super-interesting and worthwhile but nonetheless “retarded” (a personal term, I mean no angry-man offense, and I don’t mean downs or donkey-braying stupid, either. Much more retarded than that…) Christian/Muslim material. Nice sum up. Good enough for me. The image of humans standing in a desert arguing the finer points of theology and biography, involving everyone’s favorite Nazarene, makes me feel just too “all over again” to keep going. I mean, I’m in the desert, I try and figure a way the fuck out… Justin, I expect the sense you have of D’J is like my rancorous predisposition to religion. Suffering to take a load off, my sawing logs like Richard Dawkins does nothing to dun the prayer mills. One ends up seeking transcendence for a self-made problem. Why I read Gawker.
The photo reminds me of the paintings of Brendan Lott http://www.abdelnnortt.com/ , who looks for subject-matter on the internet, then sends the found image to China where the paintings are accomplished and then come back…….I’m pretty sure I ran into this on Dennis’ blog.
The photo reminds me of the paintings of Brendan Lott http://www.abdelnnortt.com/ , who looks for subject-matter on the internet, then sends the found image to China where the paintings are accomplished and then come back…….I’m pretty sure I ran into this on Dennis’ blog.
I’m on Team Aniston.
I’m on Team Aniston.
[…] its cover made the experience of reading it on the subway feel just a bit salacious. I found both Justin Taylor’s thoughts on McClanahan’s fiction and Kyle Minor’s interview with McClanahan to be good reading, and I’m curious to read […]