Adam Robinson—
Here comes two very worth-your-time reviews that are about reviewing: John Cotter on John Cotter at WWAATD and Ray McDaniel on Elyse Fenton’s Clamor at the Constant Critic.
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Ken Baumann—
The exterior of the Bel-Air mansion does not feature more than 30,000 pieces of limestone mined in France. The entry, living room, library and master bedroom are not gilded with 24-karat gold. The home doesn’t have 90 sconces and 120 chandeliers made in France. Average room size isn’t about 1,100 square feet.
–For The Record, a correction, via Steve Silberman
New from The Cupboard
Catalpa: This Is Not True
by Amanda Goldblatt
50 pages. Tape-bound.
Book design: William Todd Seabrook
Cover photographs: Amanda GoldblattWe can not know what presence is until we know how to punctuate it. We cannot know how to punctuate it until we admit the truth. We cannot admit the truth until we know what words we need to hide. Catalpa is an essay on scrims and landscapes. It’s a poem, a redaction, a confession, at least once a recipe. Here one wants to know: what if animals die and it might not mean anything? Here one is given: an essay that builds sandcastles on the floor. It’s the best kind of nonfiction: the kind that isn’t true.
HTMLGIANT’s 400 Under 1
What follows is a list of what we at HTMLGIANT consider the top 400 writers worth watching under the age of 1. We all know it’s kind of hard to make predictions of the young artist, but that’s why we picked 400. These up-and-coming writers are from a lot of different countries and are of at least two different sexes. Some of them are probably even poets! We feel pretty good about it.
I keep saying we, but really I don’t want to trick you. I just compiled this all by myself. There have been many lists and lots of pining. But I, too, was scientific. Look:
During my extensive research process of compiling the 400, I talked to more than a couple dozen parents, nannies, day care owners, playground lingerers, pediatricians, obstetricians, and jr. agents. The infants range anywhere from second trimester (if its got a heart (for narrative), it’s legal) to the cut off period of exactly one year. Unfortunately there were some fantastic young pen holders who’d just had their first birthday party who we had to cross off the list. I also crossed off those babies who didn’t quite have that look in their eye. You know what I mean.
Other than their age, the work of these young authors have absolutely nothing in common that I can see. It’s a group of enormous, enormous promise. It is the future of all language. I hope you will join us as we watch these young Hemingwhos and Faulkwhatzits rise into the storyteller’s light.
Adam Robinson—
Michael FitzGerald, one of the co-creators of Submishmash (I’m still basking in its awesomeness), put up a few notes justifying a $2-$3 submission fee. Overall, I agree with what he says, especially the point that paying $3 will make writers pay more attention to what they’re sending. It’s often clear that people are writing their best work and submitting — before it’s even a little good.
Is a $3 fee the filter we need?
Games
I love chess. It’s a beautiful game of war. The pieces move with order, so much so that computers can beat humans.
Even more than chess though, I love Go. I started playing Go in college. My friend Michael introduced me to the game. We used to play chess for hours, drinking coffee manically, smoking cigarettes manically (or at least I did), Michael would eat bean and chess tacos. Michael read books about chess, and was in general a much stronger player. He won most of the games. Then, one day, he brought in a Go board. The rules are simple, much simpler than chess: a gridded board, black and white stones, it’s a game of domination. But the point, unlike chess, is to gather territory. It’s a different way of conceptualizing the board. It’s less about taking pieces and gaining points (if you’re a point-counter in chess, which I am, always counting, though I’ll gladly sacrifice a 10-point piece for a pawn. This is probably why I lose so often. Also, my end game is a wreck.) and more about visualizing territory.
Writing is a game to me, my books are games. The books I enjoy most are games, which is why I read so much OuLiPo stuff. I have no point to make. I just like games, that’s all.
Two by Joan Healy
Click through for second video (nsfw).
Nick Antosca—
The Millions’ list of 20 More Under 40 includes Jesse Ball, Victor LaValle, Ben Kunkel, Salvador Plascencia, and many others.