Monday, February 1, 2010

Writers on Writers


Good stuff:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/you-suck-and-so-does-your-writing/article1449304/. Apparently, Faulkner didn't like Twain. I don't really care much for Faulkner which means I won't get invited to an Ole Miss literary festival or fox hunt or otherwise hang out with women with long gray hair and multiple scarves. Whatever. Great writing means different things to everyone. While Hollywood and people who tend to wear a lot of purple fawn over Cormac McCarthy, I think he's much overrated and whatever he's written has been said much better by many other authors. I've met a lot of writers, most of whom I enjoyed reading, and found almost all of them to be fairly unpleasant in person. Maybe that goes with the territory.


Right now, I'm reading about three or so books--that sort of happens with me--I can't just finish one and then start another. Instead, I embark upon some idiotic process of going back and forth. Started a Stephen Fry novel (I think it's largely autobiographical) while sitting in a deer blind. Have a few pages left of a well researched book on Agincourt--it's taken me ages to knock off--don't know why because it's really quite good but I've sort of run out of gas on Agincourt. Now, have picked up a book that's a collection of first person narratives on various aspects of the Crusades. Another thing--the Amazon.com phenomenon is extraordinary when it comes to surfing for and buying books. I've gone ape shit on it for a month now and have now placed myself on "cease and desist" until I plow through what I've bought. More to come.

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