Reading group for W&M, 2014 edition?

[Nathan "N.R.", James Mayn]

Given a recent wave of a few folks securing a copy of W&M for themselves, together with the soon-to-be-released ebook edition from Dzanc, I'm sending out a feeler whether there might be a multiplicity of big-scale readers who might enjoy reading W&M in an articulated structure of multiple fellow readers. The ebook should be available by the end of August. I'd suggest a start date some time in September or October. Is there any interest in a scheduled reading, or will most folks who might find themselves reading W&M happy with the read-as-you-will schedule?

[James]

Women and Men is definitely not in the cards for me this year. I'm going to try to squeeze in Cannonball and Smuggler's Bible though.

[Jonathan]

I would be very willing to take part - September or October work well for me.

[alex]

I was planning to start after tearing through The Bleeding Edge anyway. Would be interested in a group read for sure.

[Aloha]

Joe sent an email this morning that he finished editing the new W&M edition. Both the ebook and the print edition are ready to roll!

[Jonathan]

Exciting! The hardback I ordered got lost in the post (boo!) so may just wait for the new print edition to come out...

[Aloha]

Sorry to hear about that, Jonathan. I was telling Joe the heartaches in trying to obtain W&M.

[James]

That is great news on the hardback and print editions. That happened faster than I would have thought. I wonder when they will actually hit the market.

[alex]

Very exciting. Thanks for the info!

[Aloha]

James, not sure about hardback. What he did mention was print and ebook.

[Nobody]

When this sucker eventually comes out I will be buying it. I'm horrible about sticking with group reads, for I always fall behind. I think I'm four weeks behind on Magic Mountain. LOL

[Aloha]

Trolley, all I can say for my MM excuse is Vollmann. I think we're rebels at heart. Wherever people are congregating, we go the other way.

[Aloha]

I'm planning to join in for the second time to read the new edition of W&M, though. I think this time it would be an easy read for me. I understand a whole lot more now.

[Nobody]

Yeah, I'm a little worried about W&M. Postmodern books trip me up. As you know, I had a JFK assassination going on during Pynchon's "Crying of Lot 49". I'm just creative like that I guess. LOL. But I'm going to read this one. No telling what irrelevant plots I'll come up with.

Vollmann, like hell ya. I still have "Rising Up and Rising Down" waiting for me - I love the way he writes and thinks. When I created this account, I told myself I will read for "quality" and not "quantity". I found myself getting into that bad habit. Vollmann has much to say that is important, especially considering the topics I read, and I don't want to rush through his masterpiece. However, I was introduced to Thomas Mann. I wasn't expecting to like his writing so much, so I'm reading that one slow as well.

[Kris]

You can count me in for a group read too.

[Aloha]

Vollmann's Kissing the Mask: Beauty, Understatement, and Femininity in Japanese Noh Theater took me by surprise. I'm a huge fan now. I'm loving his Europe Central and the abridged Rising Up and Rising Down: Some Thoughts on Violence, Freedom and Urgent Means. I'm waiting for the 7 vols. from ILL. I need to give them a call tomorrow to confirm my request.

Joe gave me some great recommendations on books that inspired him so I'd like to read those, along with books written by him. I'm wrapping up The History Book Club's Middle East challenge and starting the India challenge.

With all that, I have no brain cells left for MM. LOL.

[Aloha]

Kris wrote: "You can count me in for a group read too."

Alright, Kris! Yay! I'm whispering in Joe's ears that maybe he would like to have a question and answer session with us? Keep your fingers crossed that he'll say yes.

[Ian]

I, too, would love to take part once the new print edition is available.

[Aloha]

We'd love to have you, Ian. This is great! I know my compadre Jonathan, a.ka. J. Frederick, was doing it for a second time but would he do it again with the new edition?

[Aloha]

Joe said that I can quote him, paraphrase him, do what I want with his words. He doesn't know whose hands he's giving that power to. :o) Here was what he said regarding W&M:

We think there may be a new wave of reviews for W&M. Essays. We'll see. A cover, too, with more sky and light. The struggle, however, to ensure that corrections are properly incorporated and that no glitches occur between digital proof and the designer's hand, etc. means almost endless attention from me. When my esteemed editor at Overlook couldn't handle the huge responsibilities they tried to stick him with (at a moment when he had become a father) and he left at a moment when he wanted to buy Cannonball but Overlook felt that only he could manage the production of the book, the plan was to reissue W&M. Too bad Dalkey had decided not to reprint after a considerable sale. The wait has had happy results. Preparations for Search was never part of the 2 major tracks of the book (the Breathers and the Life of Mayn including that of Grace); it was in the line of the 3rd track, the "unknown" population presented in vignettes both separate and reflective and refractive of the main themes. But Prep was too long, it seemed to become a narrative that took us away from the book without returning us to it. So I cut it. The other, much shorter, cut fits well into the book, but I was getting nervous about the length as seeming unwieldy to readers; cutting that piece cost me something.

[Larry]

I'm on board. Have had it sitting on my shelf for a while waiting for the right time and place.

[alex]

Thanks for the info, Aloha!

[Aloha]

This is exciting, Larry! We're going to have a great group reading it.

[Aloha]

My pleasure, Alex. Thanks to Joe for his generosity.

[Aloha]

Glad to have you, Greg! :o)

[Brian]

J Frederick wrote: "...but W&M is always on my mind."

I'm with you on this. I can't get it out of my head.

[Aloha]

J. F., I'll ask Joe about that today. Thank you for raising a good question. I'm glad you'll be joining us. Wouldn't be the same without you.

[James]

Aloha- that's the coolest thing I've read on here. Did McElroy intimate that they were adding a section cut from the previous printings back in, or did I not read v that right?

I have preparations for search, but hadn't heard of this second bit of printed material. Has it ever been released before? Will we see it?

[Aloha]

James, regarding Preparations for Search, Joe said, "It has a curious publishing history tho the best thing about is itself, in my view. I will give you a copy if you are ever in the City or I will send it to CT. I.e., if you don't have a copy. Slight in size yet with reverberations."

I don't think he intends to put the piece back into W&M and refers to it as a novella. Not sure about the shorter piece, though. He said that he corrected errors in the ebook caused by the publisher's scanner and that the print book is ready to go. Another question to ask him. I will be channeling Joe! :oD

[Aloha]

Joe said that he only made corrections from errors introduced by the scanner. There were 700-800 errors.

That must have been a chore! I did a few typo corrections myself and they are no fun.

[Nathan "N.R.", James Mayn]

James wrote: "I have preparations for search, but hadn't heard of this second bit of printed material. Has it ever been released before? Will we see it? "

A few of the pieces in Night Soul were originally part of W&M. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_an... :: has the goods. I've not heard of any changes to the W&M text for the new edition; only what Aloha's said about cleaning up scanner errors.

The Reading Group won't have a schedule. The threads are up and ready for anyone's contributions. BUT, should you want to roughly pace yourself with others, I'll suggest a beginning time approximately 3-4 weeks after publication.

[James]

Maybe one of us should do a follow up with Dan Wickett from Dzanc to see if we can get an approximate publication date. I don't think they have put Ancient History: A Paraphase on the street yet since they wanted to give Cannonball some time to itself on the market. I'm assuming they will want to stagger AH(aP) and W&M.

[James]

I see Amazon has Ancient History: A Paraphase shipping on October 15.

[alex]

Yep. Preordered :)

[Luke]

Despite my poor record with group reads, there's a very good chance of me tagging along successfully with this one. We shall see.

[Nathan "N.R.", James Mayn]

Aubrey wrote: "Despite my poor record with group reads, there's a very good chance of me tagging along successfully with this one. We shall see."

If there's any group reading which fits your not-group-reading preference, it's this one. We've no schedule, maybe a start date ; but it's all -- as you will.

[Larry]

Nathan "N.R." wrote: "Aubrey wrote: "Despite my poor record with group reads, there's a very good chance of me tagging along successfully with this one. We shall see."

If there's any group reading which fits your not-g..."

Perfect!

[Nathan "N.R.", James Mayn]

Larry wrote: "Perfect!"

Yep. I repeat myself, but it bears repeating. We will find some kind of start date coordinated with the release of the e- & possible (looking more and more likely) paper-edition, which release date is still unknown (smile). BUT, if you have a copy and find yourself in a good literary place to begin reading, steam on ahead around that obstacle ; there are several knowledgeable veterans around these parts who will likely be happy to continue discussions in the chapter threads ; and then one might find a few other folks trickling into your reading-wake.

I will also point about, for reasons of expectations of endurance, that there is a HUGE BREATHER about half-way through which many of us have experienced as a WALL, an obstacle which took some going around. Don't fret should you find yourself needing to set the book down for a few weeks ; some of us are still there ; it's just that kind of book.

[Aloha]

I still owe a summary for that Obstacle of a BREATHER. Might do it soon.

[Aloha]

My favorite BREATHER, BTW. I assume you're talking about the one with the Anasazi and the Hermit.

[Eric]

love to finally get around to reading this thing; maybe not til winter hits, or summer. Aubrey if you're reading this this is me tendering my let'sdothis (but not TOO soon).

[Luke]

I agree, Eric, especially with the not too soon. I have the remainder of the 1k-prep shelf (includes M&D, W&P, Sotweed and many others) as well as the last volume of Proust before I even begin to consider starting anything else.

[Aloha]

I'm wrapping up Vollmann's RURD, then it's NaNoWriMo in November. After that, I might be able to tackle W&M again.

[Nobody]

So there is still no ebook or reissue yet?

[Nathan "N.R.", James Mayn]

Green Troll wrote: "So there is still no ebook or reissue yet?"

I've got no updates. But I've updated the thread name.

I'll be reading the rest of McElroy's books before even thinking about a third-through of W&M ; so maybe about 2018.

[alex]

I'm currently reading WM after breaking down and getting a nice first ed for $60 (a most excellent purchase!). Nathan I'm game to go through the other Mcelroys sooner than later as well. Particularly wanting to read Hinds and Lookout.

[Mirror]

Nice find! That wouldn't, by any chance, have something to do with them being a little... longer, would it? Not to be negative, but I'm most currently most attracted to 'Plus', having fortunately nabbed JPM's bibliography for cheaps, thus establishing balance, and minimally diminishing mine own.

[alex]

I was able to haggle for great first eds of Hinds and Lookout, hence my immediate interest in those. I plan on getting all the Mcelroys in first edition over time :)

[Nathan "N.R.", James Mayn]

My next is Plus, and soon. Ancient History too when the pb is released next month. The rest are being scheduled for 2014 ; Lookout will be the first among them, likely. [Night Soul is still outstanding & unread, which irks me]

[alex]

Will likely be getting Plus soon. Game for that one first.