Friday, March 14, 2008
Spitzer and Ho Ho Ho
Said Kristin to Eliot Spitzer,
"Put down your silly wine spritzer.
Let's measure your law,
And Andrea's jaw,
And see if New York justice fits her."
It's The Mayflower: anything goes,
For the Emperor's Club wears no clothes.
And the children all cry
As the ship passes by,
"It's the Governor! Look! Thar she blows!"
"Put down your silly wine spritzer.
Let's measure your law,
And Andrea's jaw,
And see if New York justice fits her."
It's The Mayflower: anything goes,
For the Emperor's Club wears no clothes.
And the children all cry
As the ship passes by,
"It's the Governor! Look! Thar she blows!"
Saturday, February 09, 2008
I enjoyed myself hugely at AWP. This was the best conference AWP has ever had, and it is hard to see how it can be surpassed, unless it could be held in London or Paris. New York is the most exciting, culturally rich city in America. In New York there were events I had to miss because there were other events I wanted more. The book fair was on three levels--one big space might have been better, as in Austin--but there were more first rate publishers there than at any other. The off-site activities were more diverse and richer.
John Irving's keynote address was lively and entertaining and useful from the perspective of showing how one successful literary man works (although I find Irving a superficial writer). Amy Hempel is one of the most interesting practitioners of the short-short-short-short story form. (Rumor has it that Hempel is working on a collection of major sentence fragments to be published by Knopf.) Louise Gluck and A. S. Byatt, two of the major attractions, did not show, but even that didn't spoil the AWP conference. It was New York, so it was all right. Martin Amis was diverting, although I found his moral postures facile. Whatever one may have expected from the talk, Amis's language and wry posturing, his candor, and his impatience with fustian came through. All this alone would have made the conference worthwhile, and that's not to mention the ambiance of excitement and the "racy, adventurous feel" (to quote Nick Carraway) of the place itself. Be still, my heart.
Chicago is also a good city, but after New York other cities feel slow. I doubt London will ever be possible because no one could afford to fly there and the book fair would be impossible. As for Paris--some things are best lived in dreams.
John Irving's keynote address was lively and entertaining and useful from the perspective of showing how one successful literary man works (although I find Irving a superficial writer). Amy Hempel is one of the most interesting practitioners of the short-short-short-short story form. (Rumor has it that Hempel is working on a collection of major sentence fragments to be published by Knopf.) Louise Gluck and A. S. Byatt, two of the major attractions, did not show, but even that didn't spoil the AWP conference. It was New York, so it was all right. Martin Amis was diverting, although I found his moral postures facile. Whatever one may have expected from the talk, Amis's language and wry posturing, his candor, and his impatience with fustian came through. All this alone would have made the conference worthwhile, and that's not to mention the ambiance of excitement and the "racy, adventurous feel" (to quote Nick Carraway) of the place itself. Be still, my heart.
Chicago is also a good city, but after New York other cities feel slow. I doubt London will ever be possible because no one could afford to fly there and the book fair would be impossible. As for Paris--some things are best lived in dreams.
Labels: AWP Conference
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Cheers to all. Will be in NYC at the AWP Conference. Looking forward to seeing my friends.
