Nathan "N.R."’s Comments (group member since Oct 28, 2012)

Nathan "N.R."’s comments from the William T Vollmann Central group.

Geoff wrote: "Nathan "N.R." wrote: "... an impressionistic, near-hallucinogenic effect that comes off as pretentious."

Sold."

Don't rush out for it. You'll wanna wait for the whole novel, How You Are.

Aubrey wrote: "I'm going to have to read The Book of Dolores for myself "

Please do. But maybe Burt has spoken a bit quickly since the real story of Dolores will be in the novel in progress, How You Are of which a few excerpts are included in The Book of Dolores ; which itself I think has more to do with art -- Meet our subject, Dolores ; but then let me tell you about all these arty things I do.

A ten page (unexceptionable) excerpt from How You Are is included in The Speed Chronicles, "no matter how beautifully it stings". Not only unexceptionable, but rather disappointing ; this is not a piece that'll make you sing Vollmann's prosaic talents. But Dolores is in it.

Excerpts also included in The Book of Dolores.

Review of Dolores in The New Yorker.

"Mansplaining Cross-dressing" by Stephen/Stephanie Burt
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs...

I think the title is unnecessarily snarky. Burt's criticisms are fine, but have most to do with what the book was not about and did not do. Burt would have preferred that Vollmann had done his research differently, looking into writers who have already written about transgender'd and crossdressers. Which is fine, it could have been a deeply research'd book about that (instead of the book of art it mostly is). But the "mansplaining" thing I don't think is appropriate ; if a straight male can't look-into and imagine-himself-into the world of another, well, where's hope? I mean, I have no doubt at all that crossdressers and transgender'd people (who are not Vollmann) know a hell of a lot more than he does.

JK wrote: "Half has a couple sets a little cheaper, with all volumes:
http://product.half.ebay.com/Rising-u..."

US$99.50!? ---; !

But, looking closely and not being quite sure how half.com lists things, it would appear that this copy is volume one through five only -- the listing under "Acceptable". Which is still a good price.

JK wrote: "I might try to pull a Brian and branch off here and there to read some of the sources for RUaRD."

Since those volumes on your shelf ain't going nowhere notime soon, let them leisure there while you like Brian stroll where Bill strolled. And, yep, a great deal of must-reading can be checked off by following Bill's lead.

JK wrote: "If I pick an actual work, I'm jumping in the deep end. I'm starting with RUaRD. "

I feared that it might be your First. A most rewarding place to begin. But, if you find yourself (I mean, Vollmann) getting a bit bogg'd down in Lincoln or Caesar or Trotsky, don't hesitate to dip into the journalism in volumes V & VI. Overall, though I found RURD an incredible page-turner, because even though Lincoln may have gotten a bit long, there was always the What is he going to do in the next chapter?

And congrats on beating the market=pricing for a gorgeous set of you own. Very nice!

Think and Drink with Vollmann in Portland OR, February 5, RE: the FBI file and gov surveillance ::

http://www.opb.org/artsandlife/event/...

Worth a 20 hour drive?

Nathan "N.R." wrote: "Vollmann's Afterword to Simenon's Dirty Snow."

Drawing attention to the link which is located in the immediately preceding comment.

[also, any future such items -- introductions, etc by Bill -- should go in the Uncollected Vollmann thread. We'll keep this thread just for the Expelled (Part I?) materials.]

Ronald wrote: "Well, that's unfortunate - I picked that book up specifically because of the Vollmann introduction. I haven't gotten to it yet, but am sorry to hear it bored you silly."

It had an awful lot of character discussion in it. Which would be of a great deal more interest I'm sure had I read the book. And I do suspect that the book is quite good, if you go for that kind of thing ; one of the better examples of its genre?

What became a chapter in Imperial ::

"Where the Ghost Bird Sings by the Poison Springs-- The river was pleasant, really, wide and coffee-colored. We can poison nature and go on poisoning it; something precious always remains." from Outside Magazine, 2002.

http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-...

The Speed Chronicles by Akashic Books from 2011 includes a Vollmann short story called "No Matter How Beautifully It Stings". For those only who are interested in Bill's drug writing, perhaps. The back cover says "Brand-New Stories by".... so I assume it's not showed up elsewhere yet.

One page excerpt at googlebooks :: http://books.google.com/books?id=2cAN...

"Note to the Reader: The following passages have to do with speedy substances, which, like any loyal American, I know only in the most theoretical sense. -WTV"

Hemmingson's bibliography describes it as a "Profile of a transgendered person addicted to the drug methamphetamine." And he informs us that it is 85 pages long. [edit : Hemmingson's biblio needs correction ; the story is ten pages long.] This may end up as a chapter in his How You Are about which we learned a little in his Book of Dolores. [edit : indeed, this story features Dolores]

Here's a review blurb :: "And William T. Vollmann’s 'No Matter How Beautiful It Stings' goes for an impressionistic, near-hallucinogenic effect that comes off as pretentious." [which sounds about right] [edit : not really right ; not 'pretentious' but rather just not very good]
http://www.bookgasm.com/reviews/crime...

Anything by WTV which is not included in a properly identified WTV book. More or less a collection of things that might show up in Expelled from Eden Part II or an imaginary volume bearing the title, The Uncollected Vollmann.

Short Stories
Journalisms
Editorial work -- Prefaces, Afterwords, Forwards, Introductions.
Reviews.

A few pre-2004 items may not have been collected, but much of it might be in Expelled. So, mostly more recent things go in here. Also, I might make a new thread for new stuff as was the case with the FBI-file item.

Jonathan wrote: "I had forgotten that my first exposure to WTV was this afterword, and I confess to not having been very impressed... "

I recently read his introduction to Dirty Snow and was bored silly. Perhaps because he was writing about a book I wasn't interested in rather than himself inwhich I do have some interest. ; )

Jim wrote: "A Tomb for Boris Davidovich will be read/discussed this month over in the Dalkey Archive Press group."

I will be rectifying this over-sized lack in my reading. Bill's Afterword for the 2001 Dalkey edition is also available in Expelled from Eden: A William T. Vollmann Reader. Also the Europe Central dedication :: "This book is dedicated to the memory of Danilo Kiš, whose masterpiece A Tomb for Boris Davidovich kept me company for many years while I was preparing to write this books."

[and as a tip of the hat to Friend Jonathan, and in a spirit very Voll=mann=aical, I quote John Barth about epigraphs, "But to preface a text with an epigraph from [or dedication to] a superior author in the same genre is to remind the reader that he might better spend his time with that author than with you."]

Also, Bill read everything from Penguin's Roth-edited Writers from the Other Europe :: https://www.librarything.com/publishe...

Please do not miss Larou's excellent review of R&C ::

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Sosen wrote: "I was talking to the guy who owns my favorite bookstore here in Boise; apparently, Vollmann stopped by twice in the summer, once while he was on the way to Montana and again on the way back, and pu..."

He's written a few pieces from up around your area there. Unfortunately, they're squirrel'd away in his RURD. But I hope his purchases indicate that he's working on his sixth Dream and not still hammering away on The Dying Grass.

Or, maybe you could leave a note at the bookshop counter, "Bill Vollmann, please call me at your earliest convenience..."

James wrote: "Great masters. Shostakovich, his life & music [sound recording] /
by Greenberg, Robert .Teaching Company "

Well tune'd.

The Rainbow Stories was recently published in Spanish :: Historias del arcoíris.

A review ::

"De Vollmann y las páginas en llamas : Pálido Fuego recupera 'Historias del arcoíris', una singularísima colección de relatos de William T. Vollmann, uno de los autores más deslumbrantes de la narrativa estadounidense contemporánea"
http://www.europasur.es/article/ocio/...

Brain Pain will be reading Argall and Europe Central in 2014 ::

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...