The Vollmann Project - Description, Questions, & Resources

[Jim]

William T. Vollmann is a prolific author and artist who incorporates all kinds of writing into his books – fiction, history, journalism, personal anecdotes and confessions, and often includes his own artwork to illustrate his texts. Greatly admired by David Foster Wallace and thousands of devoted readers, Vollmann’s work is hard to define. Often described as “post-postmodern”, that label seems even less useful than “postmodern” is for Wallace’s work. With the little bit of research I’ve done so far, a more descriptive term might be “writing without borders” or for a more continental flavor, “écriture sans frontières*”

Vollmann clearly fits our project here in Brain Pain, so we will give him space in a multi-year reading project named “The Vollmann Project”. Inspired by group member Nathan “N.R.” Gaddis**, this project will center around Vollmann’s seven volume series of historical novels, Seven Dreams: A Book Of North American Landscapes. Four volumes have been published to date. The fifth volume is expected to be published in 2015.

For 2013, we will read and discuss the first two volumes:

The Ice-Shirt and Fathers and Crows

and also, The Royal Family


For 2014, we will read and discuss volume three:

Argall

and

Europe Central


For 2015, we will read and discuss volume six (they are being released out of numerical order)and if the planned publication occurs, we will read and discuss volume five, The Dying Grass (currently planned title).

The Rifles
The Dying Grass



Schedule for The Vollmann Project 2013:

The Ice-Shirt – April 1 – 28
Fathers and Crows – June 17 – August 25
The Royal Family - September 23 - November 10


Schedule for The Vollmann Project 2014:

Argall - April 7 - May 18, 2014
Europe Central - September 15 - November 2, 2014


Schedule for The Vollmann Project 2015:

The Rifles - May 11 - June 7, 2015
The Dying Grass - August 31 - October 11, 2015

Check out Vollmann’s work. I’m sure you’ll be impressed by his contributions to contemporary literature.

Feel free to use this thread to post questions and links to resources for William Vollmann and his books.

Wikipedia link for William T. Vollmann

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_...

Interview in The Paris Review, Fall 2000

http://www.theparisreview.org/intervi...


Wikipedia link for The Ice-Shirt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ice-...


Wikipedia link for Fathers and Crows

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fathers_...


Wikipedia link for The Royal Family

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Roya...


Wikipedia link for Argall

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argall:_...


Wikipedia link for Europe Central

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe_C...


Wikipedia link for The Rifles

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rifl...



*with a small adjustment, you can sing this to the tune of ‘Games Without Frontiers’ aka ‘Jeux sans frontières’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xZml...

**Nathan moderates a group dedicated to all things Vollmann called “William T. Vollmann Central”. It’s an excellent resource, especially if Vollmann’s work is new to you. Check it out here: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/8...

[Luke]

Really looking forward to this.

[Jim]

Aubrey wrote: "Really looking forward to this."

Moi aussi!

I started The Ice-Shirt last night. I'm a fan after just a few pages.

[Sandra]

This sounds like a very interesting series. I'll shoehorn this into my reading schedule (of which I'm already woefully far behind, what with getting distracted by other books... well I had every intention of reading all these "classic" and "must read" books...)LOL So many books, so little time (and I don't even work! WTF) But this sounds like a real voyage. Now to check if my local library has this.

[Jim]

Sandra wrote: "This sounds like a very interesting series. I'll shoehorn this into my reading schedule (of which I'm already woefully far behind, what with getting distracted by other books... well I had every in..."

There's never enough time to read All Teh Books!

If nothing else, these various reading projects can serve to swell your TBR list.

[James]

I picked up the Ice-Shirt last night. I need to finish the sot weed factor before I get to it though.

[Jim]

Video of Vollmann reading from his book Riding Toward Everywhere


part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu2GF...

part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aMaF...

[Ellen]

Loved the videos-thanks Jim.

[James]

here is a link to a Gutenberg edition of the saga referenced in The Ice-Shirt wiki page. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/598. Heimskringla, or the Chronicle of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturluson .
I couldn't find the other one online.

[Ellen]

Fun "review" (written by Vollman) of Argall: http://biblioklept.org/2011/09/13/the...

[Matthew]

Wow great review! Scathingly funny too at times in his depiction of a future US Senator reacting to his work.

'In Sen. Mallinger’s deservedly famous words, “When I say, ‘ball’ I want to know that everybody’s seeing the same red, white and blue ball.”'

I'm finding my reading time has been limited and may put down the Ice-Shirt for a time, but hopefully pick it back up before I put on the mold-shirt.

[Nathan "N.R."]

Ellie wrote: "Fun "review" (written by Vollman) of Argall: http://biblioklept.org/2011/09/13/the..."

Excellent review. And just to note, what biblioklept posted is the uncut version. What actually ran had excised this unAmericanism: "If that was wrong, what would Vollmann have said about our obliteration of Iraq in 2003, or the absolutely essential police measures taken in Palestine in 2004?" (penultimate paragraph)

[Jen]

Does anyone have a sense of whether these read well as stand alone volumes? I'm thinking of reading the second volume first. The descriptions suggest that it won't really matter, but maybe someone knows otherwise?

[Jim]

Jen wrote: "Does anyone have a sense of whether these read well as stand alone volumes? I'm thinking of reading the second volume first. The descriptions suggest that it won't really matter, but maybe someone ..."

As far as I know, they are stand alone volumes. The common link is the theme of the history of North America.

[Jen]

Jim wrote: "Jen wrote: "Does anyone have a sense of whether these read well as stand alone volumes? I'm thinking of reading the second volume first. The descriptions suggest that it won't really matter, but ma..."

Thanks Jim

[Jack]

Are we still set to begin 'Fathers and Crows' on June 17?

[Jim]

Jack wrote: "Are we still set to begin 'Fathers and Crows' on June 17?"

Yep. First discussion starts on Monday...

[James]

Jim, can we look at scheduling the Argall reading in the earlier part of the year April-June? My other Brain Pain reading is concentrated in the latter part of the year.

[Jim]

James wrote: "Jim, can we look at scheduling the Argall reading in the earlier part of the year April-June? My other Brain Pain reading is concentrated in the latter part of the year."

We can and will. I was thinking about starting somewhere between Mid-March and Mid-April.

[James]

Great. I'm looking forward to it.

[Nathan "N.R."]

gr has a giveaway going for The Dying Grass ::
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...

[Jim]

Cphe wrote: "I'm tossing up as to buying The Dying Grass - I can't deny that I'm interested, very interested. It's a shame that it isn't available for kindle over here.

I'm supposing that this has been asked b..."

Not necessary to read them in order. If you enjoyed The Rifles, you might want to try The Ice-Shirt. Chronologically, this volume goes furthest back in history and covers the earliest encounters between the Icelandic explorers and the native inhabitants of Greenland and Vinland. I enjoyed this one very much.

[Zadignose]

From my very limited experience, the Seven Dreams books are extremely disparate. For instance, I see both Argall (a "Seven Dreams" book) and Europe Central (not related) as developing from and diverging from what Vollmann did with the Rifles. But if I had to pick, I'd say Europe Central is closer. Except for the minor detail that Argall is about an Englishman visiting America and encountering Indians, and Gravesend is mentioned and... well, but the connections are actually tenuous or superficial. They're more just a part of the net of everything Vollmann, and perhaps even less interrelated than any two randomly selected Vonnegut novels.