Literary Magazine Club
{LMC}: On Scott Garson’s Silt
Here is Garson’s Silt. If you would like to have the full PDF of NY Tyrant 8 so you can participate in this month’s LMC discussions, get in touch with me. But still, when you buy a literary magazine, an angel gets its wings so consider buying a copy.
I will not dishonor Scott Garson’s story by writing something longer than he did. There is no insightful analysis in my post, just appreciation. I read it many times, and that is the mark of good work that is so short. I will read it again many times.
My favorite bit: “… hummed in the jaundicing keys of tube lights.” Tube lights are the death of us all and the word jaundice makes me shiver.
SPOILER ALERT! Skip this paragraph if you have not read the piece yet … The end was also snazzy (snazzy is not the right word, but I just felt like saying that): “Were you not also looking to get solved?” Ah, yes, I was looking to get solved. Thank you.
So I do not gush too much, I have a serious problem with one thing. “Public relations specialist” should not be capped. It is an outrage. How dare you, sir.
I have no answers, only questions. Did anyone else enjoy this piece as much as I did? Elaborate. Share your favorite line. If not, why? And what’s up with that title?
Tags: LMC, Scott Garson
How about a fucking link.
There you fucking go.
I too read the story dozens of times, looking for the references, feeling like an idiot. The story under discussion is “Silt,” which precedes “The State” in the journal. “The State” is an interesting piece as well, albeit longer and more plot and character-driven.
To say something substantive, the end of “Silt” recalled for me that Denis Johnson story, “Car Crash while Hitchhiking” only insofar as it turns to the second person in the form of a question in the last line.
Gah, I’m tired. I’ll fix it.
Hey, it was a good push to read it a few times, though, which was worthwhile. The two pieces pair well, actually. “Silt” is much more solitary, and its protagonist more willing to submit to “a life of demented composure,” while “The State”‘s character is more active and openly subversive. Both stories play with light imagery–the “jaundicing keys of tube lights” referenced above, and in “The State,” a wonderful description of television, basking in its glow and trying to justify one’s doing so. In the latter story the character, not resigned, gets out of the hypnotic pull and goes elsewhere. I think my favorite line was “I’d get to see somebody’s house”; there is a sense of voyeuristic curiosity, along with a mercenary moxie, that sustains him and makes him the more dynamic character of the two. A caveat: I realize this is some pretty traditional commentary here–active versus passive character and light imagery, and that the stories are very likely challenging both of these.
Fucking thanks
Love “a life of demented composure” and the idea of “I was basically a problem.” The upshot is there will be no solving of the problem. Not for the narrator, not for “you,” not in the soul-crushing environment of the story. The only way out is out — that’s the implication I get — and yet no one’s making a move to get out, only a “bid up,” more “drive,” half-steam ahead. Misguided, fearful, stuck, beat down into infinite layers of the ground, hence silt, though “Silt” might as well be called “Shit” or “Slit” (as in wrists).
Garson owns this form.
On a critical note, I don’t see why Mr. Todd, in such a brief post, can’t quote the story correctly. Public Relations Associate — it’s a corporate/coggish title, man. Like VP of Sales or Blogger Who Can’t Be Bothered to Double-check the Text He’s Quoting. Wait, it’s not mean week anymore. Apologies. Everyone makes mistakes. Sorry. Whatever. But this title, as it stands in the story, I suggest, dear sir, merits caps.
Um, really Jesus? That’s what you’re focusing on?
I admire Scott’s writing a lot—e.g., I took some of his stories when I guest edited everyday genius—but I’m not as fond of this story. Here’s what I don’t like as much in Silt—the easy correspondence between the author’s (character’s) mental state and the metaphors that are meant to contain and expand that state. The metaphors reveal themselves a bit too easily in their function. I could hope these metaphors would slide away from the writer’s (character’s) control at some point, so opening out into some greater chance of implication. Chance I think is important in these cases. In any case, the title is my favorite part of the story. And when you get this short, I think the hit and miss of appeal of any one story to any one reader becomes enhanced. And Scott’s a really good writer.
Hi Roxane: I wrote THREE paragraphs. I was focusing on 1 & 2, but 3 is a valid point, too, I believe. Are we not to be held accountable for quoting texts accurately?
I admire Scott’s writing a lot—e.g., I took some of his stories when I guest edited everyday genius—but I’m not as fond of this story. Here’s what I don’t like as much in Silt—the easy correspondence between the author’s (character’s) mental state and the metaphors that are meant to contain and expand that state. The metaphors reveal themselves a bit too easily in their function. I could hope these metaphors would slide away from the writer’s (character’s) control at some point, so opening out into some greater chance of implication. Chance I think is important in these cases. In any case, the title is my favorite part of the story. And when you get this short, I think the hit and miss of appeal of any one story to any one reader becomes enhanced. And Scott’s a really good writer.
Hi Roxane: I wrote THREE paragraphs. I was focusing on 1 & 2, but 3 is a valid point, too, I believe. Are we not to be held accountable for quoting texts accurately?
roxane,
some people will bitch about anything.
some people enjoy bitching about anything.
whip your hair around.
smile.
HOLLA!
My attitude is that this is not the New York Times. This is a place where we can talk about writing we love and it kind of discourages people to participate, I would think, to be publicly corrected for an innocent oversight. Accountability is important but so is tact and grace. A polite e-mail to either myself or the author about the error might have better served your purpose.
i see yr point, R. and Jesus’ point too (thnx for taking the time to post on it, Jesus)
i blogged on it last nite and mentioned the switched-up word. will put in link but what i said in case you don’t want to go over there: “…[the switched-up word] makes me hope that [Robb] wrote it from memory because if he did, that would be, you know, great.”
http://garsonscott.blogspot.com/2010/11/silt-up-on-html-giants-lmc-thing.html
thnx for posting on this, J. i appreciate this angle; what I’d say: in the version that’s in the ms i just sent off, there’s one additional line. it makes the q at the end seem maybe a little less Jesus Sonsy (see Tim’s comment) because it introduces earlier on a particular addressee–the girl.
and what i’d hope (tho who knows): it opens the piece up a little, makes the presentation less static…..
Surely, Jesus Angel is without sin. Sorry I misquoted, but I am right about the caps. You only cap formal titles before names, and even that title probably wouldn’t be formal enough to merit that. Corporate jargon isn’t my style guide. The Associated Press and Chicago Manual of Style and many other style guides agree on this. You don’t even cap president on its own (“the president, Barack Obama” but “President Barack Obama”). Same with pope.
I see your point, Roxane. I realize this isn’t the NYTimes. But it is a *literary* web magazine, and as such, I dunno, I feel like we should be accountable, just like journalists, for what we write. Sure, you could say this was an innocent oversight, but it’s also one that’s easily corrected by double-checking. Too often in the blogosphere I see writers posting sloppy work, which they want to be taken seriously, I assume, and yet it appears to me that they’re not making the extra effort — an attempt, at least — to polish the prose and post with accuracy. My point was not to discourage but to encourage, let’s say, basic writing etiquette and accountability. Maybe my perspective comes from working as a journalist for many years. There are minimum standards, and I would think accurate quoting/citations, grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. fall under those standards. HTMLG is, after all, a place for writing, no? And don’t writing basics count for something? I dunno. Re: email — I thought this was a public forum. Also, I don’t see any email links to authors, so… apologies on that front. Lastly, I did try to serve my criticism in the same style as the author. Just a poke, a nudge, not a slap, not a face shot. I apologize if my words were too harsh. As I said, I’d just like to see some extra attention to detail. That’s all.
agreed, scott. if from memory, that is very cool.
Hey Robb, I’m not w/out sin by any stretch. I tried to better explain my position above to Roxane. I hope you can see where I’m coming from. Re: caps — I think “creative writing” can follow different rules, like you could have a character called The Reverend or The President, and you’d cap those titles all the time as if the title were a name. That’s how I thought Scott was using the term. But, yeah, if not, then you’re correct.
roxane,
some people will bitch about anything.
some people enjoy bitching about anything.
whip your hair around.
smile.
HOLLA!
[…] Todd wrote a nice little thing about Scott Garson’s […]
I should never ever never rely on memory ever.
(Which is what I did, so thanks for giving me an out.)