October 15th, 2008 / 8:12 pm
Author News
Matthew Simmons
Author News
National Book Awards 2008 shortlist
Meh. Hemon is pretty good, I suppose. And I saw Gibbons get into a pretty amusing argument with a couple of other poets during a Warren Wilson lecture.
Otherwise, why waste time? I think I’ll wait for Underwhelmed Week. When’s that one, Blake?
I think Hemon is great, Matthieson and Robinson are great- I don’t know the other two, who knows. I’m OK with the picks. Really. At Play on the Fields of the Lord was fantastic. Yeah, I didn’t finish Robinson stuff- I hate heavy “languagy” shit- but she’s no joke.
But. Since this is mean week. The judges for fiction? Eons ago, when I was a young person, I worked in book publishing and I had to read two books a week, in ms form, and write up synopsis for foreign publishers. Needless to say, many of them sucked ass. Also, as the months wore on (all ladies in the office, like 90% of publishing) I became the designated Fantasy/Horror/Scifi reader. Anyway, during this time, I had the great misfortune of reading a book by Elinor Lipman, called Isabel’s Bed. The fact that I remember this- I read gazillions of books then and since then- is very telling. This book was so phenomenally bad that it broke my heart then (20 years ago) and to see her as a judge for this prestigious award? What is wrong with the world? I mean, I realize I am not all “indie” like many here (but I love you people, I do) but it is moments like these that FREAK ME OUT. She is a nice lady, most likely. She’s written a bunch of books. People read her books. She’s successful. But good LORD. She is so BAD. Anyway, I think it’s better not to think of these things. My bad.
I’m going to go drink now.
I think Hemon is great, Matthieson and Robinson are great- I don’t know the other two, who knows. I’m OK with the picks. Really. At Play on the Fields of the Lord was fantastic. Yeah, I didn’t finish Robinson stuff- I hate heavy “languagy” shit- but she’s no joke.
But. Since this is mean week. The judges for fiction? Eons ago, when I was a young person, I worked in book publishing and I had to read two books a week, in ms form, and write up synopsis for foreign publishers. Needless to say, many of them sucked ass. Also, as the months wore on (all ladies in the office, like 90% of publishing) I became the designated Fantasy/Horror/Scifi reader. Anyway, during this time, I had the great misfortune of reading a book by Elinor Lipman, called Isabel’s Bed. The fact that I remember this- I read gazillions of books then and since then- is very telling. This book was so phenomenally bad that it broke my heart then (20 years ago) and to see her as a judge for this prestigious award? What is wrong with the world? I mean, I realize I am not all “indie” like many here (but I love you people, I do) but it is moments like these that FREAK ME OUT. She is a nice lady, most likely. She’s written a bunch of books. People read her books. She’s successful. But good LORD. She is so BAD. Anyway, I think it’s better not to think of these things. My bad.
I’m going to go drink now.
I’m 100% in the bag for Marilynne Robinson. She’s amazing and the new book is stellar.
Here’s a pretty fascinating review she wrote of Carver’s _Where I’m Calling From_ when that book was new-
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE4D9113BF936A25756C0A96E948260
Also, if anyone looked at the NBA’s “5 Under 35”– say what you will of the others (I know you’re going to anyway) but know that Fiona Maazel is major league. Her novel _Last, Last Chance_ is one of the better (and funner) books I read this year.
I’m 100% in the bag for Marilynne Robinson. She’s amazing and the new book is stellar.
Here’s a pretty fascinating review she wrote of Carver’s _Where I’m Calling From_ when that book was new-
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE4D9113BF936A25756C0A96E948260
Also, if anyone looked at the NBA’s “5 Under 35”– say what you will of the others (I know you’re going to anyway) but know that Fiona Maazel is major league. Her novel _Last, Last Chance_ is one of the better (and funner) books I read this year.
Like I said, the picks are fine with me. And, didn’t Veronica win last year? That book made me shit my pants it was so good. I sat around writing letters to myself and Gaitskill about how good that book was.
But – someone- tell me I am not the only one- who has read Lipman. I’m doing anything but think about the debate.
Like I said, the picks are fine with me. And, didn’t Veronica win last year? That book made me shit my pants it was so good. I sat around writing letters to myself and Gaitskill about how good that book was.
But – someone- tell me I am not the only one- who has read Lipman. I’m doing anything but think about the debate.
1) No, Veronica did not win. Last year, 2007, Denis Johnson won for Tree of Smoke. Beat Lydia Davis, Joshua Ferris, and Jim Shepard. Four writers I really like.
Veronica was nominated in 2005, and Vollman won that year for Europe Central. Me, no opinion.
So, there’s that. I’m not impugning the National Book Award. Not really.
(Or, maybe I did. I probably did, actually. Fish in a barrel graphic and all. Fuck me.)
2) I’ve met Lipman. Haven’t read her. She’s delightful.
3) Home, haven’t read. No opinion.
1) No, Veronica did not win. Last year, 2007, Denis Johnson won for Tree of Smoke. Beat Lydia Davis, Joshua Ferris, and Jim Shepard. Four writers I really like.
Veronica was nominated in 2005, and Vollman won that year for Europe Central. Me, no opinion.
So, there’s that. I’m not impugning the National Book Award. Not really.
(Or, maybe I did. I probably did, actually. Fish in a barrel graphic and all. Fuck me.)
2) I’ve met Lipman. Haven’t read her. She’s delightful.
3) Home, haven’t read. No opinion.
Denis Jonhson should be crowned. So, the awards do get certain things right, unlike me, who got everything wrong re: who won what and so forth. Matthew, I am sure Lipman is delightful (see above where I say I bet she’s a nice person)- then go to amazon and but Isabel’s Bed for 2 bucks and read it and get back to me. I have the worst memory in the world but, man, did that book stand out in my mind as in “the world is all wrong”. That book should never have been published. I know we can say that about many other books,, but still. Stellar example of wrongness.
Denis Jonhson should be crowned. So, the awards do get certain things right, unlike me, who got everything wrong re: who won what and so forth. Matthew, I am sure Lipman is delightful (see above where I say I bet she’s a nice person)- then go to amazon and but Isabel’s Bed for 2 bucks and read it and get back to me. I have the worst memory in the world but, man, did that book stand out in my mind as in “the world is all wrong”. That book should never have been published. I know we can say that about many other books,, but still. Stellar example of wrongness.
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