a couple of reviews...
of A Sound To Drive Away The Coming Darkness over at a zine review site. scroll down H E R E for the full site and review. justin.barrett has a couple of books reviewed over there as well.
also, check out the review of Darkness over at the dandy lit mag nibble's website.
lastly, please to compare and contrast these two reviews (H E R E and H E R E) of Hosho's latest sunnyoutside book; I find it extremely interesting how the 'academic' in the first review just doesn't get it (and the different conclusions one can draw from the same book). I mean, not understanding how pain is essential to any human's realization of how life works, how pain can be a "good thing," how the suffering inherent in our mortal existence is a necessary component and an unavoidable part and parcel of happiness and peace is a fucking idiot. I mean, shit, has this fucker not heard the song "Heaven" by the Talking Heads? the bar HAS to close or you'll go nuts. you can't have one without the other. my recommendation? buy the motherfucking book; it's without a doubt one of Hosho's finest publications.
also, check out the review of Darkness over at the dandy lit mag nibble's website.
lastly, please to compare and contrast these two reviews (H E R E and H E R E) of Hosho's latest sunnyoutside book; I find it extremely interesting how the 'academic' in the first review just doesn't get it (and the different conclusions one can draw from the same book). I mean, not understanding how pain is essential to any human's realization of how life works, how pain can be a "good thing," how the suffering inherent in our mortal existence is a necessary component and an unavoidable part and parcel of happiness and peace is a fucking idiot. I mean, shit, has this fucker not heard the song "Heaven" by the Talking Heads? the bar HAS to close or you'll go nuts. you can't have one without the other. my recommendation? buy the motherfucking book; it's without a doubt one of Hosho's finest publications.
posted by christopher cunningham at 6:01 PM
10 Comments:
Gutters & strikes, as THE DUDE might say. We abide...
When you know you are smarter than everyone else (magna cum laude) you can simply dismiss what you don't understand by saying things like: "laboring to elucidate grander truths than those of which they are capable."
The faults we find in others are usually the ones that reside in ourselves.
well said, nibble. well damn said.
gutters and strikes, indeed, sir McCreesh...no worries. he got some of them, so i would say it was more of an open frame. maybe 5 pins? 6?
good reviews...you think even the best review helps a lot? might sell, what?, 1 or 2 more books? maybe i'm just a pessimistic sort.
Hosho,
That may be the single greatest response I've read to a reviewer's "unchecked aggression" that I've ever read. Brilliant.
Fuck it, Dude. Let's go bowling.
This comment has been removed by the author.
nibble: "laboring to elucidate grander truths than those of which they are capable." That's actually a superb--though unintentional-- META-joke: as it describes, perfectly, what IT is trying (& failing) to describe. The sentence is a trainwreck...degrees or no degrees. A larger argument is there to be had in terms of words vs. ideas, & what is said vs. how it is said. But to hell with it: I'm always trying to improve both what my work says & how it says it. I hope we all are.
j.b: I'd say it was a 7-10 split...nearly impossible to mark that frame. Bittersweet because you knock down 8 or 9...while the 1little pin you missed burns like a hot coal in your mind...[metaphor alert]. Well, not MY mind--but someone's...
Nate: Thanks, man. I mean, what possible reason do we have to take ourselves serious enough to let it ruffle us? He didn't like the book. Fair enough. I don't like a lot of the things I see pretty much everywhere--from war to the more quotidian human savagery. Besides we don't do any of this writing stuff for any other reason but the deep-rooted desire to connect (or we shouldn't) & maybe try to make sense of what we see & how it all fits (or doesn't fit).
"Fuck it Dude, let's go bowling," indeed.
I agree that with both you and Justin.
First, Justin is absolutely right to say that reviews, even a blowjob in The New York Times, rarely guarantee sales, or affect them either way. Most small press reviews, I've noticed, are written either out of obligation or friendship with the author, mean-spirit and jealousy, to try to flaunt one's literary acumen, or to indirectly kiss-ass with a publisher. For the most part, they're worthless. Read the liner notes, read some sample poems, the first page of a novel, and if YOU think it sounds interesting, buy the damn book.
And, Hosho, you couldn't be more right about trying to connect with readers. If something I write might make someone feel a less alone in this world, then I've accomplished what I set out to do. If I miss, I miss, but (to continue with sports metaphors) at least I stood up at the plate and took a couple of hacks at it.
Donnie, you're of your league! (Goodman got fucked out an Oscar nod for that role)
"you want a toe?
I can get you a toe, Dude."
connection, see?
I've gotten one of those NYT blowjobs and nate is exactly right: they don't help you sell any books (but they DO help you relax while your books aren't selling). oh and I was flaunting my "acumen" (in public) and that's how the whole thing started in the first place...
nate: how's the hair?
The hair is coming along. I'm actually on a sabbatical from my job next fall, so I'll have a nice opportunity to grow it and go back to work looking like a good hippie.
CC, I think we're all guilty of flaunting our "acumen" in public, at some time or another. I'm definitely guilty. You just have to be sure to wear a raincoat and stay away from cops and children when you do it.
The bums have lost, Mr. Lebowski. The bums have lost!
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