10 Comments

1. September 5th, 2010 / 5:13 pm JD HARDING—

   This is Bizarro NYT.

2. September 5th, 2010 / 6:58 pm Sean K—

   Yeah I saw this on the back page this morning and was pleasantly surprised, although when I started reading I was prepared to hate it, but after finishing I thought it was not bad, enjoyable. Then I looked at the bottom of the page and saw it was an excerpt from a book called “Skippy Dies” by a man named Paul Murray, which I hadn’t ever heard of before earlier this week; I keep hearing raves about it from the same outlets that are responsible for the heavy Franzen-buzz. I remember reading a quoted sentence from the book somewhere (Paris review blog?) that made me think it might be something worth reading, but I remain unconvinced.

3. September 5th, 2010 / 7:22 pm Paul—

   There’s a portion of “Skippy Dies” that involves a discussion among the classmates in which they decide Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” is actually addressing anal sex.

   I cannot find the excerpt, but it was pretty funny. Though, I can agree with what some of Sean is saying. I don’t think I ever want to read the story that begins with “TA-DA!” in all-caps.

   TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
   And sorry I could not travel both
   And be one traveler, long I stood
   And looked down one as far as I could
   To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5

   Then took the other, as just as fair,
   And having perhaps the better claim,
   Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
   Though as for that the passing there
   Had worn them really about the same, 10

   And both that morning equally lay
   In leaves no step had trodden black.
   Oh, I kept the first for another day!
   Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
   I doubted if I should ever come back. 15

   I shall be telling this with a sigh
   Somewhere ages and ages hence:
   Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
   I took the one less traveled by,
   And that has made all the difference.

4. September 5th, 2010 / 7:26 pm Paul—

   I’m not sure if I remain unconvinced or not, but there is something about his pacing that is thoroughly off-putting. Can’t put my finger on it.

5. September 5th, 2010 / 9:13 pm JD HARDING—

   This is Bizarro NYT.

6. September 5th, 2010 / 10:42 pm Justin Taylor—

   Yes, not frequently, but every so often. Almost always around Christmas. Other times, too.

7. September 5th, 2010 / 10:58 pm Sean K—

   Yeah I saw this on the back page this morning and was pleasantly surprised, although when I started reading I was prepared to hate it, but after finishing I thought it was not bad, enjoyable. Then I looked at the bottom of the page and saw it was an excerpt from a book called “Skippy Dies” by a man named Paul Murray, which I hadn’t ever heard of before earlier this week; I keep hearing raves about it from the same outlets that are responsible for the heavy Franzen-buzz. I remember reading a quoted sentence from the book somewhere (Paris review blog?) that made me think it might be something worth reading, but I remain unconvinced.

8. September 5th, 2010 / 11:22 pm Paul Cunningham—

   There’s a portion of “Skippy Dies” that involves a discussion among the classmates in which they decide Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” is actually addressing anal sex.

   I cannot find the excerpt, but it was pretty funny. Though, I can agree with what some of Sean is saying. I don’t think I ever want to read the story that begins with “TA-DA!” in all-caps.

   TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
   And sorry I could not travel both
   And be one traveler, long I stood
   And looked down one as far as I could
   To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5

   Then took the other, as just as fair,
   And having perhaps the better claim,
   Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
   Though as for that the passing there
   Had worn them really about the same, 10

   And both that morning equally lay
   In leaves no step had trodden black.
   Oh, I kept the first for another day!
   Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
   I doubted if I should ever come back. 15

   I shall be telling this with a sigh
   Somewhere ages and ages hence:
   Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
   I took the one less traveled by,
   And that has made all the difference.

9. September 5th, 2010 / 11:26 pm Paul Cunningham—

   I’m not sure if I remain unconvinced or not, but there is something about his pacing that is thoroughly off-putting. Can’t put my finger on it.

10. September 6th, 2010 / 2:42 am Justin Taylor—

    Yes, not frequently, but every so often. Almost always around Christmas. Other times, too.