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self-love smorgasbord
Hey, let’s just do this once, okay? This picture was emailed to me by the journalist and photographer Alberto Riva, a man I’ve never met. It came with this note- “Hi Justin – I just read your book on a beach in Corsica, and I thought you might like to see a photo.” You thought right, Alberto, and thanks! Alberto’s got a website, and there’s some great stuff on there, including these images of New York, and a talk about photography with Lou Reed.
Matthew Simmons invited me to talk Apocalypse for Hobart. Our conversation is now live (and has been for a while, but I’ve been lazy/away).
I wrote an essay for the “Selling Shorts” series at Beatrice.com on “The Crazy Thought” by David Gates.
I gave this reading list to InDigest magazine.
I participated in a series called “The Great American Novel: An Honor Roll of Fallen Genres.” This is is in the new issue of Canteen (#6) which is available now or very soon. My response is not online, though Tao Lin’s is. Speaking of which, keep an eye peeled for the September Bookforum, which will feature a review of Lin’s latest by local favorite Joshua Cohen. Worlds collide! I’ve got a piece on Matthew Sharpe’s You Were Wrong in the same issue.
And last but not least, all of Brooklyn hails the return of Drew Toal, former Time Out (New York) books guy, erstwhile contributor to this blog, once and future roommate of yours truly–all his shit is in the living room and he is nowhere to be found. Now I am going to go and drink his beer. (UPDATE: That turned out to not be Drew’s beer.) Welcome home!
And to everyone else, thanks for bearing with. We won’t be doing this again anytime soon.
very cool. your book is a traveling gnome.
very cool. your book is a traveling gnome.
I just read your book in my house in Kentucky. I liked some of the stories a lot, and I am unsure about some of the stories. I’m curious if you ever traveled in the anarchist/punk/whatever milieu or just write about it sometimes… I guess I was pretty familiar with that world when I was a teenager (and now have just a few degrees of separation from it). I’m not sure whether or not those particular characters read as ‘true’ to me.
When does your novel come out?
I just read your book in my house in Kentucky. I liked some of the stories a lot, and I am unsure about some of the stories. I’m curious if you ever traveled in the anarchist/punk/whatever milieu or just write about it sometimes… I guess I was pretty familiar with that world when I was a teenager (and now have just a few degrees of separation from it). I’m not sure whether or not those particular characters read as ‘true’ to me.
When does your novel come out?
The novel’s out in February. It’s called “The Gospel of Anarchy” and it is set entirely among those communities / “that world.” Some of the names are the same from the stories, but it’s a totally different thing- it’s a much more fleshed-out and detailed version of the world that appears in the stories, and the prose style is also pretty different. Those stories were written in as stripped-bare a style as I could produce, one I’m not sure would have been sustainable for the length of a whole novel. Also, the novel is as much about religion as it is about politics. There’s a kind of hint in the story “Go Down Swining” about the direction my thinking took for the novel. But anyway, to answer your question- Yes, I traveled in those circles for many years–sometimes as a participant, sometimes as an observer–while living in Gainesville, FL where those stories and the novel are set. Thanks for asking, btw. You’ll have to let me know what you think of the novel if you end up reading it.
The novel’s out in February. It’s called “The Gospel of Anarchy” and it is set entirely among those communities / “that world.” Some of the names are the same from the stories, but it’s a totally different thing- it’s a much more fleshed-out and detailed version of the world that appears in the stories, and the prose style is also pretty different. Those stories were written in as stripped-bare a style as I could produce, one I’m not sure would have been sustainable for the length of a whole novel. Also, the novel is as much about religion as it is about politics. There’s a kind of hint in the story “Go Down Swining” about the direction my thinking took for the novel. But anyway, to answer your question- Yes, I traveled in those circles for many years–sometimes as a participant, sometimes as an observer–while living in Gainesville, FL where those stories and the novel are set. Thanks for asking, btw. You’ll have to let me know what you think of the novel if you end up reading it.
That’s a very intriguing description.
That’s a very intriguing description.
I always thought that the biggest failure of the American anarchist/punk/traveler scene was its failure to produce a decent novel. There’s certainly enough there for one or five. I wonder how many contemporary writers went through that world when they were 15-25 years old? Probably more than will admit it. Somebody should write a novel about the Stop Huntington Animal Cruelty campaign or the FTAA protests in Miami.
Can I send you a copy of my journal?
I always thought that the biggest failure of the American anarchist/punk/traveler scene was its failure to produce a decent novel. There’s certainly enough there for one or five. I wonder how many contemporary writers went through that world when they were 15-25 years old? Probably more than will admit it. Somebody should write a novel about the Stop Huntington Animal Cruelty campaign or the FTAA protests in Miami.
Can I send you a copy of my journal?
I don’t know that that’s its biggest failure, but it is kind of a shame. I think that one reason why is because both the values and the realities of that way of living are largely antithetical to the kind of longterm focus and relative stability that are required to produce a book-length work of literature. That’s not to suggest that “those people” (awful phrase) are any less intelligent or capable than me or than anyone else; only that they choose to direct their energy elsewhere. Also not to suggest that genius can’t come in bursts, only that it usually doesn’t, and that, again, given the realities of those lives as they’re lived, even the bursts of genius are likely to be lost along the way.
One book that comes to mind is EVASION, which CrimethInc put out. Despite being (ostensibly) nonfiction, and absolutely plotless, awfully repetitive, and even though the relentless good cheer of the narrator eventually starts to scan compulsive/disingenuous–I still think it is a pretty good book, and its value as a document is beyond dispute. Other than that not much comes to mind.
Anyway I’d be glad to have a copy of your journal. Shoot me an email at thebrightfires [at] gmail.com and I’ll hit you back with an address.
I don’t know that that’s its biggest failure, but it is kind of a shame. I think that one reason why is because both the values and the realities of that way of living are largely antithetical to the kind of longterm focus and relative stability that are required to produce a book-length work of literature. That’s not to suggest that “those people” (awful phrase) are any less intelligent or capable than me or than anyone else; only that they choose to direct their energy elsewhere. Also not to suggest that genius can’t come in bursts, only that it usually doesn’t, and that, again, given the realities of those lives as they’re lived, even the bursts of genius are likely to be lost along the way.
One book that comes to mind is EVASION, which CrimethInc put out. Despite being (ostensibly) nonfiction, and absolutely plotless, awfully repetitive, and even though the relentless good cheer of the narrator eventually starts to scan compulsive/disingenuous–I still think it is a pretty good book, and its value as a document is beyond dispute. Other than that not much comes to mind.
Anyway I’d be glad to have a copy of your journal. Shoot me an email at thebrightfires [at] gmail.com and I’ll hit you back with an address.
interested to see Cohen’s take on Lin’s new one
interested to see Cohen’s take on Lin’s new one
Me too. Any way Cohen plays it it’s sure to incite passionate discourse.
Me too. Any way Cohen plays it it’s sure to incite passionate discourse.
very cool. your book is a traveling gnome.
I just read your book in my house in Kentucky. I liked some of the stories a lot, and I am unsure about some of the stories. I’m curious if you ever traveled in the anarchist/punk/whatever milieu or just write about it sometimes… I guess I was pretty familiar with that world when I was a teenager (and now have just a few degrees of separation from it). I’m not sure whether or not those particular characters read as ‘true’ to me.
When does your novel come out?
The novel’s out in February. It’s called “The Gospel of Anarchy” and it is set entirely among those communities / “that world.” Some of the names are the same from the stories, but it’s a totally different thing- it’s a much more fleshed-out and detailed version of the world that appears in the stories, and the prose style is also pretty different. Those stories were written in as stripped-bare a style as I could produce, one I’m not sure would have been sustainable for the length of a whole novel. Also, the novel is as much about religion as it is about politics. There’s a kind of hint in the story “Go Down Swining” about the direction my thinking took for the novel. But anyway, to answer your question- Yes, I traveled in those circles for many years–sometimes as a participant, sometimes as an observer–while living in Gainesville, FL where those stories and the novel are set. Thanks for asking, btw. You’ll have to let me know what you think of the novel if you end up reading it.
That’s a very intriguing description.
I always thought that the biggest failure of the American anarchist/punk/traveler scene was its failure to produce a decent novel. There’s certainly enough there for one or five. I wonder how many contemporary writers went through that world when they were 15-25 years old? Probably more than will admit it. Somebody should write a novel about the Stop Huntington Animal Cruelty campaign or the FTAA protests in Miami.
Can I send you a copy of my journal?
I don’t know that that’s its biggest failure, but it is kind of a shame. I think that one reason why is because both the values and the realities of that way of living are largely antithetical to the kind of longterm focus and relative stability that are required to produce a book-length work of literature. That’s not to suggest that “those people” (awful phrase) are any less intelligent or capable than me or than anyone else; only that they choose to direct their energy elsewhere. Also not to suggest that genius can’t come in bursts, only that it usually doesn’t, and that, again, given the realities of those lives as they’re lived, even the bursts of genius are likely to be lost along the way.
One book that comes to mind is EVASION, which CrimethInc put out. Despite being (ostensibly) nonfiction, and absolutely plotless, awfully repetitive, and even though the relentless good cheer of the narrator eventually starts to scan compulsive/disingenuous–I still think it is a pretty good book, and its value as a document is beyond dispute. Other than that not much comes to mind.
Anyway I’d be glad to have a copy of your journal. Shoot me an email at thebrightfires [at] gmail.com and I’ll hit you back with an address.
interested to see Cohen’s take on Lin’s new one
Me too. Any way Cohen plays it it’s sure to incite passionate discourse.
it’s v good. look for it. it’ll be worth yr while.
it’s v good. look for it. it’ll be worth yr while.
Yes, you are right about focus. Good writing gets scattered here and there in small-run zines. Nobody ‘does the work’.
I love Evasion. The Evasion zines and articles were amazing too. I think the whole Crimethinc catalogue, when viewed from the perspective of small press publishing, is pretty incredible. They’ve sold more than 50,000 copies of their first book without any traditional promotion or reviews.
Aaron Cometbus might be the other exception.
Yes, you are right about focus. Good writing gets scattered here and there in small-run zines. Nobody ‘does the work’.
I love Evasion. The Evasion zines and articles were amazing too. I think the whole Crimethinc catalogue, when viewed from the perspective of small press publishing, is pretty incredible. They’ve sold more than 50,000 copies of their first book without any traditional promotion or reviews.
Aaron Cometbus might be the other exception.
you should read this new book The Orange Eats Creeps. it’s very regional, in focusing more on the pacific northwest anarcho gyspy punk “scene,” and it’s somewhat fantastical, but i think it rings insanely true
you should read this new book The Orange Eats Creeps. it’s very regional, in focusing more on the pacific northwest anarcho gyspy punk “scene,” and it’s somewhat fantastical, but i think it rings insanely true
Yeah that’s totally right about Cometbus- I have that mega anthology “Despite Everything” sitting on top of my pile of reference materials. Though to be honest I didn’t read much of it, I was more interested in the layout and design of the zines than most of what was in them.
As far as CrimethInc goes, yes- MAJOR smallpress publishing success story. I would love to read the essay/short book that explains to me where the hell they came from, how they operate, and what their budget looks like. Of course, once again, any and all those things would be *entirely* antithetical to what makes them them, so I’m not holding my breath for it. Did you ever hear the rumor that they kidnapped Frederic Jameson’s son for a weekend and tried to convert him from his father’s academic Marxism to their own brand of anarchowhatever? If that’s not fact, it’s right up there with the Bible for Greatest Story Ever Told.
Yeah that’s totally right about Cometbus- I have that mega anthology “Despite Everything” sitting on top of my pile of reference materials. Though to be honest I didn’t read much of it, I was more interested in the layout and design of the zines than most of what was in them.
As far as CrimethInc goes, yes- MAJOR smallpress publishing success story. I would love to read the essay/short book that explains to me where the hell they came from, how they operate, and what their budget looks like. Of course, once again, any and all those things would be *entirely* antithetical to what makes them them, so I’m not holding my breath for it. Did you ever hear the rumor that they kidnapped Frederic Jameson’s son for a weekend and tried to convert him from his father’s academic Marxism to their own brand of anarchowhatever? If that’s not fact, it’s right up there with the Bible for Greatest Story Ever Told.
I know the backstory pretty well and have spent a week at their distro headquarters. Pretty nuts how many books they sell and how much free stuff they give away. The book-selling part is definitely run like a business at this point. It’s a nice set-up, but the businessy stuff makes me uncomfortable. I never heard the Jameson story… that rules, true or not.
It would be funny to publish novels/literary stuff under the Crimethinc moniker.
I know the backstory pretty well and have spent a week at their distro headquarters. Pretty nuts how many books they sell and how much free stuff they give away. The book-selling part is definitely run like a business at this point. It’s a nice set-up, but the businessy stuff makes me uncomfortable. I never heard the Jameson story… that rules, true or not.
It would be funny to publish novels/literary stuff under the Crimethinc moniker.
it’s v good. look for it. it’ll be worth yr while.
have any of you read lawrence braithwaite? His stuff kinda fits this conversation i think. He’s a really awesome writer.
have any of you read lawrence braithwaite? His stuff kinda fits this conversation i think. He’s a really awesome writer.
Yes, you are right about focus. Good writing gets scattered here and there in small-run zines. Nobody ‘does the work’.
I love Evasion. The Evasion zines and articles were amazing too. I think the whole Crimethinc catalogue, when viewed from the perspective of small press publishing, is pretty incredible. They’ve sold more than 50,000 copies of their first book without any traditional promotion or reviews.
Aaron Cometbus might be the other exception.
you should read this new book The Orange Eats Creeps. it’s very regional, in focusing more on the pacific northwest anarcho gyspy punk “scene,” and it’s somewhat fantastical, but i think it rings insanely true
Yeah that’s totally right about Cometbus- I have that mega anthology “Despite Everything” sitting on top of my pile of reference materials. Though to be honest I didn’t read much of it, I was more interested in the layout and design of the zines than most of what was in them.
As far as CrimethInc goes, yes- MAJOR smallpress publishing success story. I would love to read the essay/short book that explains to me where the hell they came from, how they operate, and what their budget looks like. Of course, once again, any and all those things would be *entirely* antithetical to what makes them them, so I’m not holding my breath for it. Did you ever hear the rumor that they kidnapped Frederic Jameson’s son for a weekend and tried to convert him from his father’s academic Marxism to their own brand of anarchowhatever? If that’s not fact, it’s right up there with the Bible for Greatest Story Ever Told.
I know the backstory pretty well and have spent a week at their distro headquarters. Pretty nuts how many books they sell and how much free stuff they give away. The book-selling part is definitely run like a business at this point. It’s a nice set-up, but the businessy stuff makes me uncomfortable. I never heard the Jameson story… that rules, true or not.
It would be funny to publish novels/literary stuff under the Crimethinc moniker.
have any of you read lawrence braithwaite? His stuff kinda fits this conversation i think. He’s a really awesome writer.
Sigh… Every time I see this article I have to fight back my urge to correct Justin’s spelling of smörgåsbord, because I know it’s generally rude to do so, I know this is accepted spelling in English-speaking countries, I know it’s not a big deal, but… I just can’t help myself. It nags at me, and nags, and nags.
So… sorry. I had to get it off my chest.
Smörgåsbord. Literally: sandwich table.
Okay… ahem. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, and hoping nobody hates me…
I’m looking forward to getting a hold of Justin’s book. I’ll have to check my library system and see if they have a copy, yet.
It was published some time ago… it’s about time I read the damn thing.
Oh, yes, and I agree with Herocious: It’s always heartwarming to see a book traveling the countryside.
We have some awful people in this country, but we also have some beautiful places.
Sigh… Every time I see this article I have to fight back my urge to correct Justin’s spelling of smörgåsbord, because I know it’s generally rude to do so, I know this is accepted spelling in English-speaking countries, I know it’s not a big deal, but… I just can’t help myself. It nags at me, and nags, and nags.
So… sorry. I had to get it off my chest.
Smörgåsbord. Literally: sandwich table.
Okay… ahem. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, and hoping nobody hates me…
I’m looking forward to getting a hold of Justin’s book. I’ll have to check my library system and see if they have a copy, yet.
It was published some time ago… it’s about time I read the damn thing.
Oh, yes, and I agree with Herocious: It’s always heartwarming to see a book traveling the countryside.
We have some awful people in this country, but we also have some beautiful places.
We also have some awful places and some beautiful people.
We also have some awful places and some beautiful people.
True: I can’t argue with that.
True: I can’t argue with that.
Sigh… Every time I see this article I have to fight back my urge to correct Justin’s spelling of smörgåsbord, because I know it’s generally rude to do so, I know this is accepted spelling in English-speaking countries, I know it’s not a big deal, but… I just can’t help myself. It nags at me, and nags, and nags.
So… sorry. I had to get it off my chest.
Smörgåsbord. Literally: sandwich table.
Okay… ahem. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, and hoping nobody hates me…
I’m looking forward to getting a hold of Justin’s book. I’ll have to check my library system and see if they have a copy, yet.
It was published some time ago… it’s about time I read the damn thing.
Oh, yes, and I agree with Herocious: It’s always heartwarming to see a book traveling the countryside.
We have some awful people in this country, but we also have some beautiful places.
We also have some awful places and some beautiful people.
True: I can’t argue with that.