Edan's review

Loved the first page.
Please let us know.

Holy fuck what an amazing first 50 pages! Please read this with me, Robert, so we can talk about it.

I'll see if I can scrape up the change.
(god, another book. I'm out of control.)
funny. thinking about that first book we club'd,
Revolutionary Road. Like maybe I should read it
again so that I can say what I keep trying to say
better.

I mean I came home tonight to three packages.
One contained my copy of Cutbank containing a recent story by the great LePucki.
Another contained the Slaves of Solitude,
White Walls, and--yes--Tree of Smoke.
The third contained a pristine first of Herzog. (Yay.)
Thank god you still undercharge for workshop.

very tired and well into a bottle of pinot grigio so excuse my mangled thoughts/syntax...

well, i picked up Oscar Wao last night and just hit page 200. iprobably the fastest read of my life. that's no backhanded compliment: the book's witty, original, and fiercely intelligent. i miss all the crazyass dominicans and puerto ricans back in new york and diaz captures their language and spirit perfectly - or at least how i perceived them. book's also about trujillo, which i dig. beyond my fascination for dictators in general, trujillo is a personal favorite/most hated. (check out vargas llosa's masterpiece Feast of the Goat for a harrowing account of trujillo's reign of torture and terror.) as far as i can say by page 200, he's written one hell of a good read. will report back when i'm done.

Topo Gigio?

Brian, if you're reading the book, too, I must hurry up to keep up with you!
Robert, I haven't received my CutBank copies yet. How does it look?

well, get to it girlie. it's 10:13 and i just hit page 260. the last 40 pages just blew me away. devestating. tragic. seriously.

you have a story in a journal? lemme get a copy.

Looks good. beter than Meridian.
Cn't wait to read your story again,
now that it's on stage and properly lit.
As, usually, a proud friend.

Brian, you're nuts--reading and goodreading at the same time. I just bathed my dog and now I have to do some grading. Give a girl a break.

I have a story in the journal out of the University of Montana, called CutBank. Ask Robert: it's not my best.
You can order a copy online; I haven't even received my free one yet!

Thanks for the love, Robert.

i'm gonna order a copy.

finished Oscar Wao. we'll discuss when you've finished.

Your reading speed puts mine to shame. I'm at about page 100, so give me a few days. I'd love to discuss when I'm done.

Did you read my story in the LA Times?
Here's the link:
http://www.latimes.com/feature...

shameless.
just picked up my copy of the Diaz

You are insufferable. I'm placing my bets now that the Pulitzer will come down to Junot Diaz and Denis Johnson. So you will have to own and read both!

the pulitzer will go to johnson. he's written a big fat viet nam book, he's been banging away at this for a long time, and definitely fits more into their idea of what a pulitzer winner is than diaz. Oscar Wao is too specific, too informal, too dominican, and too brash. but i find it hard to believe that you guys need to own and read both b/c of that. shit, homeboys/girls, how many times have you thought that those fools actually got it right?

Well, that wasn't my comment.
However, both these books look like fun.
I've been reading too many short stories;
starting to feel like I've been eating paste.
Just started the Diaz. Could be a keeper.
Then two reads I've promised my daughter:
Sun Also Rises and White Noise.

Hold on now...because these might win the Pulitzer is not the reason why I'd read either, but it would be badass to read both books before they were announced as the winner or near-winner. It would feel pretty good, to have that kind of foresight, I think.
I do like the phrase, "flying fig," Manny.

of course it's very easy to take the position 'who gives a fuck about xx award' -- oscars, pulitzers, etc... it's the easy road to 'authenticity'... in a way awards exist to legitimize art. if one can rail about an award or award show, it indirectly proves that there are other worthwhile works. ergo: the medium can produce 'art'. y'know? i wasn't saying that you're just interested in it b/c it's a potential prize winner... that'd just be rude and untrue. i was literally saying that you would own/read them whether or not they would be nominated. so fuck those fools... y'know? mucho amore...

Agreed! I had a dream I was in your house, looking at your Morrissey tapes.

ah... a dream about morrissey. sigh. is there anything better?

i go to tijuana to see him play on thursday. seriously.