My Writing

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

hula hoops forever


My friend, Michael Inscoe, has published "What the Fuck Does 'In Real Life' Mean If You Live In Front of Your Computer?" at his literary site, unsure if i will allow my beard to grow for much longer. Thank you, Michael. Includes the line "'What I mean is, you'd look good in baggy pants and a crop top, or something'" and the line "life is so stupid and exciting, yes."

My friend Steve Roggenbuck's forthcoming book/website, DOWNLOAD HELVETICA FOR FREE.COM, now has an official cover, by Osy Chung of Hong Kong.

Steve has also started a new tumblr called INTERNET POETRY and has released a doctrine explaining the thoughts and intentions behind the tumblr, which will publish submissions of internet poetry presented/created/distributed via guerilla tactics.

I just started reading Quartet by Jean Rhys. I have a shortage of books I really want to read on my bookshelf. I have read a lot of the books I picked up at used bookstores over the years, and I'd like to have new books/new authors to read.

I want to read The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis.

I want to read A Certain Lucas by Julio Cortázar.

I want to read more Bolaño.

I wish there were more authors I knew I wanted to read.

The more I think about the book(s) I want to write, the more I am unsure what I want to read, what I like to read.

I know I like when books make me laugh. I reread the opening to The Catcher in the Rye the other day, and I laughed the hardest I've ever laughed while reading it, at nearly every line.

I know I like in Beckett how the lines are striking and beautiful but also sad and alone and brusque and gallows.

I read this story by Frank Hinton recently that inspired me, "The First Time."

I want to read and write things that fill me up and excite me about knowing people and being alive, that make small mysterious gestures.

8 comments:

  1. I like the last sentence. Seem like reasonable aspirations.

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  2. good job; really enjoyed reading it.

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  3. nice post stephen i've had similar feelings of wanting to find more books i really like. i recently ordered two of k silem mohammad's older books.. im excited about those because his newer writing is some of my favorite.
    have u read 'all of joyce' yet, hehe? / was it salinger that u liked as well, bro? or any of ur other favorites in life? checkin out their discographies?

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  4. thank you, joey

    hi ana :) thank you

    thanks, brett. i'm excited to hang this weekend. glad you're coming

    thanks, steve. yeah. i've read pretty much everything by joyce except "finnegans wake," which i have read a bit of and then set aside. i will definitely read it eventually, but not sure if i want to now. i have read all of the published books by salinger and some of the magazine stories that haven't been collected in books. i just remembered i've been meaning to check out thomas bernhard. i can do that. and after reading tao's essay, i'd be interested in checking out "almost transparent blue" by ryu murakami.

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  5. also steve, i feel you re discographies. i like it a lot when i have an author i like and they have an interesting body of work, either small and "potent" or "sprawling" and varied.

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  6. jean rhys is my fave. maybe read 'indecision' by benjamin kunkel if you haven't already

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  7. cortázar's un tal lucas is incredible and bolaño is really great too

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