open letter to the troll on tao lin’s blog
Dear when.parents.flee.the.country,
I don’t usually get involved in blog-related confrontations, for what I assume are obvious (though, perhaps, not to you) reasons. You are hardly the first troll/weirdo that Tao Lin has had to deal with, and I am sure you won’t be the last. That fact of Tao’s life has little–if anything–to do with me, other than that it makes me sad for him sometimes (also exhausted and pissed off on his behalf) but this isn’t why I’m writing today.
Agriculture Reader #2 was edited by my good friend–the magazine’s founder–Jeremy Schmall. I have some poems in it, and soon after that issue came out I moved to my present position as its co-editor. (Our next issue will come out in February 2009.) You probably noticed that the AGR is a handmade journal with a prominent design element. Its entire print run is somewhere in the low to mid three figures. We hope, therefore, that every copy we sell or give away will be cherished.
Your utter lack of civility, displayed repeatedly over the past few days in the comments section of Tao’s blog–including but not limited to stalkerish language and intimations of violence, compounded by the cowardice of your refusing to reveal your identity–makes me doubt your capacity to appreciate art in general, and the AGR in particular.
It grieves me that Agriculture Reader #2 may not be bringing you the joy you had hoped it would, but my greater concern is that you are not the sort of reader we are looking for. The AGR is a finite resource, every copy of it is precious, and I hate to think of even one copy being wasted. I hope you will consider returning your copy of the magazine, so I can give it to someone who can appreciate it. (Note that I do not say “will.” We do not require our readers to provide a guarantee of validation or an echo chamber of praise; but we confess to a bias for those with the capacity for comprehension and, if need be, civil discussion.)
Please contact me in the comments section of this post regarding my offer. We can exchange mailing addresses, or perhaps agree to meet at some neutral location. In exchange for your remittance of the magazine (undamaged, and with the included audio CD), I will bring you several paperbacks from the thrift store near my house. In a best case scenario these will be Tom Clancy’s Op-Center(TM) novels written by someone other than Tom Clancy, or perhaps some entries in the R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series.
Yours,
Justin
Tags: Agriculture Reader, Tao Lin
I just wonder why he wouldn’t moderate his comments?
I just wonder why he wouldn’t moderate his comments?
I think a lot of the stalker-anger in those comments has to do with the fact that tao lin is the centre of the “internet-literary-blogosphere”. I like him, but his (unearned) notoriety in the community and the fact that most people in this corner of the internet seem extremely deferential to him is kind of annoying.
I don’t say unearned because of anything I’ve ever read of his, and I actually still need to read his books. It’s just that (from my position) it seems the accolades are not proportionate to the body of work. Maybe that’ll change when I dig a little deeper, it’s just my impression from what I’ve read of him online.
It’s lame to turn it into personal attacks, because I know that most people who talk extremely highly (and often) of him say those things as friends, but it’s easy to see how someone might get confused. Especially if they are insane and have tricked themselves into thinking that “THIS IS THE WORLD”.
I think a lot of the stalker-anger in those comments has to do with the fact that tao lin is the centre of the “internet-literary-blogosphere”. I like him, but his (unearned) notoriety in the community and the fact that most people in this corner of the internet seem extremely deferential to him is kind of annoying.
I don’t say unearned because of anything I’ve ever read of his, and I actually still need to read his books. It’s just that (from my position) it seems the accolades are not proportionate to the body of work. Maybe that’ll change when I dig a little deeper, it’s just my impression from what I’ve read of him online.
It’s lame to turn it into personal attacks, because I know that most people who talk extremely highly (and often) of him say those things as friends, but it’s easy to see how someone might get confused. Especially if they are insane and have tricked themselves into thinking that “THIS IS THE WORLD”.
Good point, PBR.
I wonder the same thing.
Good point, PBR.
I wonder the same thing.
how you can be mad about it without having read anything doesnt make sense to me, how can you say a thing about accolades w/o having judged the merit yourself? and even if you deemed that it sucked, would you really need to attack that person publicly? i am confused about people’s free time. or not confused, but more just mhm
how you can be mad about it without having read anything doesnt make sense to me, how can you say a thing about accolades w/o having judged the merit yourself? and even if you deemed that it sucked, would you really need to attack that person publicly? i am confused about people’s free time. or not confused, but more just mhm
You’re right Blake, but the fact that it is so hard to find his work in the physical world (I’m looking before ordering) isn’t exactly a good sign. It could be great, but he’s pretty unknown at this point, and that’s why the constant streams of praise seem a little out of line (to an outsider). He’s proved himself on this corner of the web– and that’s it for now…? Or maybe not. I could be wrong, I wouldn’t say I’m ignorant but I’m not a tao-lin expert, either.
You’re right Blake, but the fact that it is so hard to find his work in the physical world (I’m looking before ordering) isn’t exactly a good sign. It could be great, but he’s pretty unknown at this point, and that’s why the constant streams of praise seem a little out of line (to an outsider). He’s proved himself on this corner of the web– and that’s it for now…? Or maybe not. I could be wrong, I wouldn’t say I’m ignorant but I’m not a tao-lin expert, either.
Man I did not consider that enough. It is shit to be angry at someone having never really read him. It’s totally garbage. These people are (mostly, probably) jealous, though, and also insane. Well, I guess they would have to be.
Man I did not consider that enough. It is shit to be angry at someone having never really read him. It’s totally garbage. These people are (mostly, probably) jealous, though, and also insane. Well, I guess they would have to be.
i have four print books out
i honestly don’t feel ‘constant streams of praise,’ there have been 3-4 shit-talkers who regularly comment on my blog, ‘eeeee eee eeee’ has a 3.4 rating on goodreads, and probably half the reviews of ‘eeeee eee eeee’ in mainstream things were negative
i receive emails attacking my writing and me as a person
i have four print books out
i honestly don’t feel ‘constant streams of praise,’ there have been 3-4 shit-talkers who regularly comment on my blog, ‘eeeee eee eeee’ has a 3.4 rating on goodreads, and probably half the reviews of ‘eeeee eee eeee’ in mainstream things were negative
i receive emails attacking my writing and me as a person
I think Lin keeps the troll comments to show how insane they actually sound.
Tao Lin annoys me sometimes, but I only know him from reading things on the internet, which is not knowing; and I am annoyed by a lot of people I know via the internet and then when I get to meet them, we get along like Obama and his wife.
So….I think the shittalkers suck. I think the “fans” are sometimes overzealous and -protective, but i cannot talk shit about Tao Lin the person. AND I haven’t read his work, so no opinion there. OH, except his poem in Abraham Lincoln #2, which I do like very much.
I think Lin keeps the troll comments to show how insane they actually sound.
Tao Lin annoys me sometimes, but I only know him from reading things on the internet, which is not knowing; and I am annoyed by a lot of people I know via the internet and then when I get to meet them, we get along like Obama and his wife.
So….I think the shittalkers suck. I think the “fans” are sometimes overzealous and -protective, but i cannot talk shit about Tao Lin the person. AND I haven’t read his work, so no opinion there. OH, except his poem in Abraham Lincoln #2, which I do like very much.
Haha ^^ nice, is there a section to follow the RSS feed
Haha ^^ nice, is there a section to follow the RSS feed