biographies of Exley and Yates

A PS that can stand alone as its own post:

If you're in the market for literary biography, I'd recommend books about Fred Exley and Richard Yates although Yates's biographer was able to comb the world for a lot more material and produce a much more comprehensive book. In fact, Blake Bailey's A Tragic Honesty: The Life and Work of Richard Yates is rather excellent and satisfying. I loved learning from this book that the Elaine character from Seinfeld is based upon Richard Yates's daughter, and so the suede-leather clown-jacket episode, where Jerry and George drink with Elaine's father in a hotel lobby, is a sensational look at the author himself (although quite exaggerated and fattened up for television). Jonathan Yardley's Misfit: The Strange Life of Frederick Exley is still worth a read though; I can see why some reviewers on amazon were disappointed, but I'd say its average of three stars is about right.

Exley and Richard Yates

In honor of Brock Clarke's Exley and Tao Lin's Richard Yates, I'm changing the title of Fight for Your Long Day to Anais Nin.

Duffy can dream, no?

To me, the Exley is forgiveable because we aren't coming off a blockbuster movie version of A Fan's Notes. Also, Clarke has paid all kinds of dues--advanced grad work, multiple books, and more--and more than anything, based upon a review, at least the father-son relationship that dominates Clarke's outer frame can be directly related to a significant tension in Exley's novel. And Exley is the man (although, yes, from a technical perspective, Yates was the superior novelist), so Clarke should get props for recognizing that fact. The only customer to review it so far (arrives October 5, 2010) gives Exley three stars but insists we read the original first. But, yes, if you're reading this, then it is likely you've done that. Like amazon customer reviewer Mark Levine of Jersey City, New Jersey (aye, my father's hood of origin), I've reread and recommended A Fan's Notes many times. I'm guessing that Clarke has too. Does that make us any less alone in this world?

So back to Richard Yates. Tao, isn't it tacky to name your novel after a brilliant writer who lived largely among basement cockroaches for most of his life? And particularly when the relationship to Yates is tangential to your book?

Of course, if it sells I might change the title of Fight for Your Long Day to the Tao of Lin.

No escape!

homeless and poor

And Duffleman has the nerve to think he has problems! Is he a homeless man breaking into and reopening a bar? No. Is he earning over $10K and thus not classified as poor? Yes. So what a whiner this Duffy must be. Don't talk to me, Duffy, about your aching arches and tension headaches. Enough!

Can I get an "amen"?

ps--excerpted matter. . .

. . .is available now.

immediate release

Feeling impressed lately? Click here for immediate release.

inside higher ed

Yesterday, as you've possibly already heard from me too many times, I got inside higher education after decades of peripheral engagement with schools and books. Editor Scott Jaschik gave Fight for Your Long Day a nice review and helped the novel shoot up to 8,000ish on amazon.com as both a trade paperback and e-book. I'm afraid to know how few sales this actually translates into, but hey, I'll take what I can get.

And now it's time to take coffee... nap time, anyone?

Sleepy schleep.