Alex Kudera's Blog, page 159
October 1, 2010
the real exley
Janet Maslin has a review of the new novel, Exley, and in it she includes a link to this memorial piece by Mary Cantwell from 1992.
September 28, 2010
biographies of Exley and Yates
A PS that can stand alone as its own post:
If you're in the market for literary biography, I'd recommend books about Fred Exley and Richard Yates although Yates's biographer was able to comb the world for a lot more material and produce a much more comprehensive book. In fact, Blake Bailey's A Tragic Honesty: The Life and Work of Richard Yates is rather excellent and satisfying. I loved learning from this book that the Elaine character from Seinfeld is based upon Richard Yates's daughter, and so the suede-leather clown-jacket episode, where Jerry and George drink with Elaine's father in a hotel lobby, is a sensational look at the author himself (although quite exaggerated and fattened up for television). Jonathan Yardley's Misfit: The Strange Life of Frederick Exley is still worth a read though; I can see why some reviewers on amazon were disappointed, but I'd say its average of three stars is about right.
If you're in the market for literary biography, I'd recommend books about Fred Exley and Richard Yates although Yates's biographer was able to comb the world for a lot more material and produce a much more comprehensive book. In fact, Blake Bailey's A Tragic Honesty: The Life and Work of Richard Yates is rather excellent and satisfying. I loved learning from this book that the Elaine character from Seinfeld is based upon Richard Yates's daughter, and so the suede-leather clown-jacket episode, where Jerry and George drink with Elaine's father in a hotel lobby, is a sensational look at the author himself (although quite exaggerated and fattened up for television). Jonathan Yardley's Misfit: The Strange Life of Frederick Exley is still worth a read though; I can see why some reviewers on amazon were disappointed, but I'd say its average of three stars is about right.
September 25, 2010
Exley and Richard Yates
In honor of Brock Clarke's Exley and Tao Lin's Richard Yates, I'm changing the title of Fight for Your Long Day to Anais Nin (sorry, no periods)
Duffy can dream, no?
To me, the Exley is forgiveable because we aren't coming off a blockbuster movie version of A Fan's Notes. Also, Clarke has paid all kinds of dues--advanced grad work, multiple books, and more--and more than anything, based upon a review, at least the father-son relationship that dominates Clarke's outer frame can be directly related to a significant tension in Exley's novel. And Exley is the man (although, yes, from a technical perspective, Yates was the superior novelist), so Clarke should get props for recognizing that fact. The only customer to review it so far (arrives October 5, 2010) gives Exley three stars but insists we read the original first. But, yes, if you're reading this, then it is likely you've done that. Like amazon customer reviewer Mark Levine of Jersey City, New Jersey (aye, my father's hood of origin), I've reread and recommended A Fan's Notes many times. I'm guessing that Clarke has too. Does that make us any less alone in this world?
So back to Richard Yates. Tao, isn't it tacky to name your first novel after a brilliant writer who lived largely among basement cockroaches for most of his life? And particularly when the relationship to Yates is tangential to your book?
Of course, if it sells I might change the title of Fight for Your Long Day to the Tao of Lin.
No escape!
Duffy can dream, no?
To me, the Exley is forgiveable because we aren't coming off a blockbuster movie version of A Fan's Notes. Also, Clarke has paid all kinds of dues--advanced grad work, multiple books, and more--and more than anything, based upon a review, at least the father-son relationship that dominates Clarke's outer frame can be directly related to a significant tension in Exley's novel. And Exley is the man (although, yes, from a technical perspective, Yates was the superior novelist), so Clarke should get props for recognizing that fact. The only customer to review it so far (arrives October 5, 2010) gives Exley three stars but insists we read the original first. But, yes, if you're reading this, then it is likely you've done that. Like amazon customer reviewer Mark Levine of Jersey City, New Jersey (aye, my father's hood of origin), I've reread and recommended A Fan's Notes many times. I'm guessing that Clarke has too. Does that make us any less alone in this world?
So back to Richard Yates. Tao, isn't it tacky to name your first novel after a brilliant writer who lived largely among basement cockroaches for most of his life? And particularly when the relationship to Yates is tangential to your book?
Of course, if it sells I might change the title of Fight for Your Long Day to the Tao of Lin.
No escape!
September 23, 2010
homeless and poor
And Duffleman has the nerve to think he has problems! Is he a homeless man breaking into and reopening a bar? No. Is he earning over $10K and thus not classified as poor? Yes. So what a whiner this Duffy must be. Don't talk to me, Duffy, about your aching arches and tension headaches. Enough!
Can I get an "amen"?
Can I get an "amen"?
immediate release
Feeling impressed lately? Click here for immediate release.
September 22, 2010
inside higher ed
Yesterday, as you've possibly already heard from me too many times, I got inside higher education after decades of peripheral engagement with schools and books. Editor Scott Jaschik gave Fight for Your Long Day a nice review and helped the novel shoot up to 8,000ish on amazon.com as both a trade paperback and e-book. I'm afraid to know how few sales this actually translates into, but hey, I'll take what I can get.
And now it's time to take coffee... nap time, anyone?
Sleepy schleep.
And now it's time to take coffee... nap time, anyone?
Sleepy schleep.
September 17, 2010
eagleton on judt and nussbaum
Terry Eagleton has a fun book review in the October 2010 print Harper's Magazine. Nothing to do with Judaism; a lot to do with education and the humanities and the current vast economic inequalities of the U.S. and Great Britain. Eagleton ends one paragraph thusly:
"Then again, I am the brainwashed product of a communistic state: my own education at Cambridge University was entirely free of charge, though it would not be so today."
In fact, Eagleton is teaching at Notre Dame these days; there's no word on whether or not he has mingled with sports agents or accepted cash from literary alums.
He does do a quick and easy hatchet job on both writers, but Nussbaum gets it worse than Judt. But nothing on their ties to sports betting or University of Chicago's plan to eliminate doctoral work in the humanities in order to fund a new Division One football team while NYU brings exorbitant tuition to thirty-seven cities in the next five years. Maybe the numbers are off here. . . search for their plans in http://www.nytimes.com/.
"Then again, I am the brainwashed product of a communistic state: my own education at Cambridge University was entirely free of charge, though it would not be so today."
In fact, Eagleton is teaching at Notre Dame these days; there's no word on whether or not he has mingled with sports agents or accepted cash from literary alums.
He does do a quick and easy hatchet job on both writers, but Nussbaum gets it worse than Judt. But nothing on their ties to sports betting or University of Chicago's plan to eliminate doctoral work in the humanities in order to fund a new Division One football team while NYU brings exorbitant tuition to thirty-seven cities in the next five years. Maybe the numbers are off here. . . search for their plans in http://www.nytimes.com/.
briefly noted
I think we've lost the Jesus Blesses the Children picture book. No sign of it anywhere, and Yiyi hasn't requested it. Convenient for the high holidays, I suppose.
