October 29th, 2009 / 3:49 pm
 Snippets
—

A (a dude, in midst of an actual conversation): Wait, Deb Olin Unferth isn’t famous.
C (another dude): She’s not? Of course she is. She’s famous.
A: Famous why? Because she had a book out with McSweeney’s and was in Harper’s?
C: People know who she is.
A: Writers know who she is. That’s not famous.
C: Famous, fine. She’s a buzzball. People talk about her. She’s famous enough.
B (a jew dude): Nobody is famous unless my grandmother knows who it is.
C: So are there any famous writers?
B: Philip Roth.

62 Comments

  1. October 29th, 2009 / 8:08 pm james yeh—

      Q: was this at &now

  2. October 29th, 2009 / 4:08 pm james yeh—

      Q: was this at &now

  3. October 29th, 2009 / 8:17 pm Blake Butler—

      yessir

  4. October 29th, 2009 / 4:17 pm Blake Butler—

      yessir

  5. October 29th, 2009 / 8:25 pm Graham—

      Oh! That’s someone I can be mean about. I despise Deb Olin Unferth’s writing. I flipped through Vacation in a bookstore and I got so mad and depressed that people like it that I moved across the country.

  6. October 29th, 2009 / 4:25 pm Graham—

      Oh! That’s someone I can be mean about. I despise Deb Olin Unferth’s writing. I flipped through Vacation in a bookstore and I got so mad and depressed that people like it that I moved across the country.

  7. October 29th, 2009 / 8:35 pm +!O0o(o)o0O!+—

      For a half-Jew’s Xmas sake, Bake, it’s one L, not two, in Philip.

  8. October 29th, 2009 / 4:35 pm +!O0o(o)o0O!+—

      For a half-Jew’s Xmas sake, Bake, it’s one L, not two, in Philip.

  9. October 29th, 2009 / 8:38 pm Blake Butler—

      i will fix that just for you my sweetum

  10. October 29th, 2009 / 4:38 pm Blake Butler—

      i will fix that just for you my sweetum

  11. October 29th, 2009 / 9:02 pm Sean—

      Does this prove Blake thinks about being famous more and more? When did Blake become Tao Lin? I’d rather wade this stream behind my house and correctly read and eddy and catch a little smallmouth than be famous. What is famous?

      (mean week)

  12. October 29th, 2009 / 9:02 pm Sean—

      Blake has a photo shoot coming up, BTW. See his blog.

  13. October 29th, 2009 / 5:02 pm Sean—

      Does this prove Blake thinks about being famous more and more? When did Blake become Tao Lin? I’d rather wade this stream behind my house and correctly read and eddy and catch a little smallmouth than be famous. What is famous?

      (mean week)

  14. October 29th, 2009 / 5:02 pm Sean—

      Blake has a photo shoot coming up, BTW. See his blog.

  15. October 29th, 2009 / 9:04 pm Blake Butler—

      nachos are famous

      you are famous for being a nacho fake

      i made you famous

      famous

  16. October 29th, 2009 / 5:04 pm Blake Butler—

      nachos are famous

      you are famous for being a nacho fake

      i made you famous

      famous

  17. October 29th, 2009 / 9:09 pm Matt Cozart—

      Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider, and Jack W. Szostak are “famous in their field.”

      Maybe that’s what Deb Olin Unferth is?

  18. October 29th, 2009 / 5:09 pm Matt Cozart—

      Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider, and Jack W. Szostak are “famous in their field.”

      Maybe that’s what Deb Olin Unferth is?

  19. October 29th, 2009 / 9:15 pm Sean—

      nachos are not famous. yet.

  20. October 29th, 2009 / 5:15 pm Sean—

      nachos are not famous. yet.

  21. October 29th, 2009 / 9:31 pm Vaughan Simons—

      “Writers know who she is. That’s not famous.”

      So true. I’m glad someone realises the truth.

  22. October 29th, 2009 / 5:31 pm Vaughan Simons—

      “Writers know who she is. That’s not famous.”

      So true. I’m glad someone realises the truth.

  23. October 29th, 2009 / 9:41 pm Tim Jones-Yelvington—

      why does this matter?

  24. October 29th, 2009 / 5:41 pm Tim Jones-Yelvington—

      why does this matter?

  25. October 29th, 2009 / 9:45 pm davidpeak—

      “famous”

  26. October 29th, 2009 / 9:45 pm davidpeak—

      “does”

  27. October 29th, 2009 / 9:45 pm rachel—

      It helps us define the term “writer.” For example, I do not know who Deb Olin Unferth is, therefore I am not a writer.

  28. October 29th, 2009 / 5:45 pm davidpeak—

      “famous”

  29. October 29th, 2009 / 5:45 pm davidpeak—

      “does”

  30. October 29th, 2009 / 5:45 pm rachel—

      It helps us define the term “writer.” For example, I do not know who Deb Olin Unferth is, therefore I am not a writer.

  31. October 29th, 2009 / 9:46 pm davidpeak—

      “nachos”

  32. October 29th, 2009 / 5:46 pm davidpeak—

      “nachos”

  33. October 29th, 2009 / 9:51 pm Tim Jones-Yelvington—

      haha, nice

  34. October 29th, 2009 / 9:51 pm Sean—

      Deb Olin Unferth is a badass! And if you don’t know that, it’s because YOU are fucking stupid and SEAN is an elitist. (I can go all caps and 3rd person because I am an elitist–it’s like a diamond encrusted Sam’s card.)

  35. October 29th, 2009 / 5:51 pm Tim Jones-Yelvington—

      haha, nice

  36. October 29th, 2009 / 5:51 pm Sean—

      Deb Olin Unferth is a badass! And if you don’t know that, it’s because YOU are fucking stupid and SEAN is an elitist. (I can go all caps and 3rd person because I am an elitist–it’s like a diamond encrusted Sam’s card.)

  37. October 29th, 2009 / 9:54 pm audri—

      grandmas generally know their shit. mine for example being a fan of camus, lil wayne, and “the sexy channels that you pay for”.

  38. October 29th, 2009 / 5:54 pm audri—

      grandmas generally know their shit. mine for example being a fan of camus, lil wayne, and “the sexy channels that you pay for”.

  39. October 29th, 2009 / 9:57 pm John Dermot Woods—

      I thought the fame test was his Aunt Sylvia who lives in Asbury Park.

  40. October 29th, 2009 / 5:57 pm John Dermot Woods—

      I thought the fame test was his Aunt Sylvia who lives in Asbury Park.

  41. October 29th, 2009 / 10:00 pm james yeh—

      john, your comment only further affirms who i think said this

  42. October 29th, 2009 / 6:00 pm james yeh—

      john, your comment only further affirms who i think said this

  43. October 29th, 2009 / 10:01 pm Blake Butler—

      i was drunker than you were, clearly

  44. October 29th, 2009 / 6:01 pm Blake Butler—

      i was drunker than you were, clearly

  45. October 29th, 2009 / 10:14 pm Tim Jones-Yelvington—
  46. October 29th, 2009 / 6:14 pm Tim Jones-Yelvington—
  47. October 29th, 2009 / 10:19 pm davidpeak—

      I’m going to write an entire story with this as first line: “How he got to this apple festival is anyone’s guess.”

  48. October 29th, 2009 / 6:19 pm davidpeak—

      I’m going to write an entire story with this as first line: “How he got to this apple festival is anyone’s guess.”

  49. October 29th, 2009 / 10:32 pm Daniel Nester—

      Is this, like, the prose Foetry?

  50. October 29th, 2009 / 6:32 pm Daniel Nester—

      Is this, like, the prose Foetry?

  51. October 30th, 2009 / 12:13 pm Adam R—

      When I was reading The Impossibly I wrote a comment about it on my blog, this was in like 2005, I said Laird Hunt’s book is funny but flawed or something and then he left a comment saying, “Well at least it’s funny,” and I was like, Oh man I didn’t expect him to read this, I figured he was too famous. Shows what I know about the Internet. Or Laird.

  52. October 30th, 2009 / 8:13 am Adam R—

      When I was reading The Impossibly I wrote a comment about it on my blog, this was in like 2005, I said Laird Hunt’s book is funny but flawed or something and then he left a comment saying, “Well at least it’s funny,” and I was like, Oh man I didn’t expect him to read this, I figured he was too famous. Shows what I know about the Internet. Or Laird.

  53. October 30th, 2009 / 2:16 pm Daniel Nester—

      Also: “Jew dude”?

  54. October 30th, 2009 / 10:16 am Daniel Nester—

      Also: “Jew dude”?

  55. October 30th, 2009 / 2:42 pm +!O0o(o)o0O!+—

      Foetry is sooooooooo 2004, Mr. Nester.

  56. October 30th, 2009 / 10:42 am +!O0o(o)o0O!+—

      Foetry is sooooooooo 2004, Mr. Nester.

  57. October 30th, 2009 / 2:57 pm david e—

      thanks, daniel, that shit was OVER THE LINE (i don’t use all caps like sean, only to sound like Walter Sobchak

  58. October 30th, 2009 / 10:57 am david e—

      thanks, daniel, that shit was OVER THE LINE (i don’t use all caps like sean, only to sound like Walter Sobchak

  59. October 30th, 2009 / 3:42 pm Daniel Nester—

      No way around it: Sounds kinda anti-semite-y.

  60. October 30th, 2009 / 11:42 am Daniel Nester—

      No way around it: Sounds kinda anti-semite-y.

  61. October 30th, 2009 / 4:11 pm Daniel Nester—

      I know. I feel like Unfrozen Literary Hata Site Cavemen Lawyer.

  62. October 30th, 2009 / 12:11 pm Daniel Nester—

      I know. I feel like Unfrozen Literary Hata Site Cavemen Lawyer.