I finished reading Robert Lopez's Kamby Bolongo Mean River last night. It was, oddly, or not oddly, one of the most emotional reading experiences I've had in a while. It honestly at one point got to me so much I had to stop and look at the wall and talk to myself. Actually, I stopped a lot during the reading of the book, every few paragraphs or so, and either reread a graph (the book is written in mostly very short graphs like a David Markson novel) to hear it again, or just stopped reading so I could continue to hear the first reading in my head.
It is quite a book (one about, on its face, simply a man locked in a room with a bed, chalk, and a phone) and it excites me in the best way a book can: both making me want to write, fueled by the sentences and ideas, and making me not want to write, in awe of those sentences and ideas, and their masterful assembly as text object.
You will hear me talking about this book a lot from here on, and a formal review is forthcoming, but in short: Rob, he did it.
Put this one high up on your list.
Still reeling gleefully this morning in finding this:
the incredible Dennis Cooper says, "'Ever' is easily one of the best novels I've read this year."
Man.
Oh you can now 'Search Inside' Ever at Amazon, if you would ever want to do that.
Now it's time to have a good weekend.
Showing posts with label robert lopez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label robert lopez. Show all posts
Friday, June 19, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
"What I am fine means is please stop talking."
From the very kind John Domini, a Goodreads review of EVER that I couldn't help but repost:
"Blake Butler brings off sentences that at once estrange & seduce, their phrasing & pacing like some 21st-Century resurrection of the Middle English, constructed w/ an ear to assonance & buried rhymes. From the second page of EVER: "In the light my skin was see-through -- my veins an atlas spanned in tissue." Not much later, more pugnaciously: "Streams of night might gleam like glass. The dirt would swim with foam." Appreciation of this small, scary miracle depends on appreciation of such beveled gems, the bits & pieces of which it's composed. Myself, I might as well've been knocked from my horse on the road to Damascus, & what floored me is also a miracle of compression. EVER contains only occasional full pages of prose, indeed it features a central sequence on which there are no more than a few lines per page, & it has interstititial designs to boot, faint gray hints of Gorey, breaking up the novella still further. Yet I find gleanings of story enough to sustain me. EVER tracks a soiled Alice (unnamed, actually) through the looking-glass & way beyond, drawn on by a force she can't understand, & that may eventually destroy her. But first she travels through room after room of a phantasmagoric home. Sample: "The next room was made of wobble. Magnetic tape streaming from the rafters, bifurcating blonde split-ends. Cashed." (& the rest of the page runs blank... inviting meditation, perhaps?) Strange as EVER's house-tour is, though, it nonetheless recalls a classic turn of the mind, the psychological phenomenon sometimes called "the dream of rooms." Such dreams can occur at any age, but they're most common near the end of life, as a person revisits all the arenas of experience. Garcia Marquez makes brilliant use of this phenomenon, for instance, when he anticipates the death of Jose Arcadio Buendia in 100 YEARS OF SOLITUDE. A more compatible figure for Butler's well-paced nightmare, however, would be Beckett's Malone, since if this girl too is dying, it's of some illness or wound she can never understand, in a place she can't say how she reached, & yet it's these very same gaps of self or soul that help her achieve a perverse assumption to heaven -- & the reader's along with her."
Couldn't ask for much more out of a review that that. Much appreciation to John.
Still waiting for his 'A Tomb on the Periphery,' which is currently on hold with Amazon due to ordering a quilting book for my mother that is still estimated 2-3 weeks. Grwouchadl.
Fair enough, though, as Evenson still has me by the throat (next few story reviews coming soon in a variety of places)
and just today in the mail got an ARC for Robert Lopez's 'Kamby Bolongo Mean River,' which I have been anticipating ever since Rob told me about the book in early 2008.
Already in the first few pages, too (which I could not abscond from peeking at immediately), Lopez has me cracking up and lit in the head. Can not wait.
More on all of these soon.
In the meantime, my review of Jeremy M. Davies's fantastic 'Rose Alley,' out right now from Counterpath Press, is in the new update of Bookslut.
Soon I am to explode.
The bags under my eyes from not having slept more than a couple hours a night in the past 2 weeks are now large enough that you could live inside them. Rent starts at $8.99 for three days. Holla.
"Blake Butler brings off sentences that at once estrange & seduce, their phrasing & pacing like some 21st-Century resurrection of the Middle English, constructed w/ an ear to assonance & buried rhymes. From the second page of EVER: "In the light my skin was see-through -- my veins an atlas spanned in tissue." Not much later, more pugnaciously: "Streams of night might gleam like glass. The dirt would swim with foam." Appreciation of this small, scary miracle depends on appreciation of such beveled gems, the bits & pieces of which it's composed. Myself, I might as well've been knocked from my horse on the road to Damascus, & what floored me is also a miracle of compression. EVER contains only occasional full pages of prose, indeed it features a central sequence on which there are no more than a few lines per page, & it has interstititial designs to boot, faint gray hints of Gorey, breaking up the novella still further. Yet I find gleanings of story enough to sustain me. EVER tracks a soiled Alice (unnamed, actually) through the looking-glass & way beyond, drawn on by a force she can't understand, & that may eventually destroy her. But first she travels through room after room of a phantasmagoric home. Sample: "The next room was made of wobble. Magnetic tape streaming from the rafters, bifurcating blonde split-ends. Cashed." (& the rest of the page runs blank... inviting meditation, perhaps?) Strange as EVER's house-tour is, though, it nonetheless recalls a classic turn of the mind, the psychological phenomenon sometimes called "the dream of rooms." Such dreams can occur at any age, but they're most common near the end of life, as a person revisits all the arenas of experience. Garcia Marquez makes brilliant use of this phenomenon, for instance, when he anticipates the death of Jose Arcadio Buendia in 100 YEARS OF SOLITUDE. A more compatible figure for Butler's well-paced nightmare, however, would be Beckett's Malone, since if this girl too is dying, it's of some illness or wound she can never understand, in a place she can't say how she reached, & yet it's these very same gaps of self or soul that help her achieve a perverse assumption to heaven -- & the reader's along with her."
Couldn't ask for much more out of a review that that. Much appreciation to John.
Still waiting for his 'A Tomb on the Periphery,' which is currently on hold with Amazon due to ordering a quilting book for my mother that is still estimated 2-3 weeks. Grwouchadl.
Fair enough, though, as Evenson still has me by the throat (next few story reviews coming soon in a variety of places)
and just today in the mail got an ARC for Robert Lopez's 'Kamby Bolongo Mean River,' which I have been anticipating ever since Rob told me about the book in early 2008.
Already in the first few pages, too (which I could not abscond from peeking at immediately), Lopez has me cracking up and lit in the head. Can not wait.
More on all of these soon.
In the meantime, my review of Jeremy M. Davies's fantastic 'Rose Alley,' out right now from Counterpath Press, is in the new update of Bookslut.
Soon I am to explode.
The bags under my eyes from not having slept more than a couple hours a night in the past 2 weeks are now large enough that you could live inside them. Rent starts at $8.99 for three days. Holla.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Crush the shitty magician
No one knew who we were for Halloween.
*Dan Wickett wins*
In this photo I really had the look down, I think:
Peewee passed the Bar the other day, first try, good job Josh.
Dressed in such manner, I realized I talk and think like this character a lot on a daily basis, especially while driving, which then encouraged me to think I should reevaluate how I act.
3 other things:
1. 'Shithead' is a fun thing to say loud.
2. Hair gel sucks dick.
3. I will abide by the bolo tie in the future, for sure.
Got a galley of Brian Evenson's LAST DAYS in mail today, all other things in life will be put on hold. New Brian Evenson is probably top of my list of things I get excited about.
I have a short piece that will be on the Underland site soon, it had begun as the beginning of a very violent novel that I stopped writing for now, I will come back to it maybe.
I think finished a draft of RICKY'S ANUS yesterday, it is long, I put it in the think box, I know when I begin the 2nd draft it will grow by another 20-30% probably, unless maybe it shrinks by up to half, I have not decided, I am not going to open it for a while, I like the way I am thinking about it, 'it will likely never see the light of day.'
Immediately after finishing RICKY'S ANUS I decided it was time to write something more planned, something 'not me,' I started another novel, I am trying something completely different this time, something more structured and planned, out of the mode of the last year of writing, 'challenging myself n shit by playing by more rules n shit.' I will not say any of the words I say all the time this time. I will 'have some idea.' Let's see what happens.
EVER is almost done. Final proofing, finishing cover, wrapping that bitch up. Put it on your Christmas list, I think. I am making some things to go with it. More there soon.
A Calamari Press night is planned for March 5 with me, Robert Lopez & Gary Lutz (!!!) @ Word Bookstore in Brooklyn, mark it with a B.
*Dan Wickett wins*
In this photo I really had the look down, I think:
Peewee passed the Bar the other day, first try, good job Josh.
Dressed in such manner, I realized I talk and think like this character a lot on a daily basis, especially while driving, which then encouraged me to think I should reevaluate how I act.
3 other things:
1. 'Shithead' is a fun thing to say loud.
2. Hair gel sucks dick.
3. I will abide by the bolo tie in the future, for sure.
Got a galley of Brian Evenson's LAST DAYS in mail today, all other things in life will be put on hold. New Brian Evenson is probably top of my list of things I get excited about.
I have a short piece that will be on the Underland site soon, it had begun as the beginning of a very violent novel that I stopped writing for now, I will come back to it maybe.
I think finished a draft of RICKY'S ANUS yesterday, it is long, I put it in the think box, I know when I begin the 2nd draft it will grow by another 20-30% probably, unless maybe it shrinks by up to half, I have not decided, I am not going to open it for a while, I like the way I am thinking about it, 'it will likely never see the light of day.'
Immediately after finishing RICKY'S ANUS I decided it was time to write something more planned, something 'not me,' I started another novel, I am trying something completely different this time, something more structured and planned, out of the mode of the last year of writing, 'challenging myself n shit by playing by more rules n shit.' I will not say any of the words I say all the time this time. I will 'have some idea.' Let's see what happens.
EVER is almost done. Final proofing, finishing cover, wrapping that bitch up. Put it on your Christmas list, I think. I am making some things to go with it. More there soon.
A Calamari Press night is planned for March 5 with me, Robert Lopez & Gary Lutz (!!!) @ Word Bookstore in Brooklyn, mark it with a B.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
NO COLONY Promotional Shaving Video + Byebye
DON'T FORGET
This FRIDAY AUGUST 22nd 7:30 PM in Park Slope Brooklyn NYC @ Barbes
NO COLONY issue 001 Launch Party
Featuring readings by Nick Antosca, Giancarlo DiTrapano, Tao Lin, Robert Lopez and Justin Taylor, hosted by myself and Ken Baumann
Issues on sale, I think $10, something.
Yesterday I shaved my face and spoke into the light in recognition of the folding forces, please observe:
Yeah, I'm really bad at shaving.
I tried to add text titles to the video but iMovie is a real piece of shit and I don't have Final Cut anymore, use your imagination, pretend there are words going in the video saying about the reading or something, pretend my head is leaking fry grease.
Blogger replications of this news &/or clearly erotic video in a promotional effort to garner attendance will be most thanked via mental explode.
aka
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD. :)
Those attending the event are encouraged to bring a tennis ball or other spherical object that may be thrown at my head or body while I am speaking, my skull is large, I make a good target.
Concurrently with my offer, Ken Baumann is accepting offers of manual stimulation and/or cash rubdowns.
** SNEAK PEEK **
We got the issues in yesterday, they rub on my eyelids without my nodding.
It looks crooked in the first photo I don't know why, its not actually crooked:
Excitedz.
Anyhow, hitting the road tomorrow morning early and won't be back till late Sunday, so in the meantime, keep your panties tucked tight and your fingers liquidated. Order will begin shipping upon return, thank you to those who preordered, thank you to those who will order soon or now. :)
Byebyez.
This FRIDAY AUGUST 22nd 7:30 PM in Park Slope Brooklyn NYC @ Barbes
NO COLONY issue 001 Launch Party
Featuring readings by Nick Antosca, Giancarlo DiTrapano, Tao Lin, Robert Lopez and Justin Taylor, hosted by myself and Ken Baumann
Issues on sale, I think $10, something.
Yesterday I shaved my face and spoke into the light in recognition of the folding forces, please observe:
Yeah, I'm really bad at shaving.
I tried to add text titles to the video but iMovie is a real piece of shit and I don't have Final Cut anymore, use your imagination, pretend there are words going in the video saying about the reading or something, pretend my head is leaking fry grease.
Blogger replications of this news &/or clearly erotic video in a promotional effort to garner attendance will be most thanked via mental explode.
aka
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD. :)
Those attending the event are encouraged to bring a tennis ball or other spherical object that may be thrown at my head or body while I am speaking, my skull is large, I make a good target.
Concurrently with my offer, Ken Baumann is accepting offers of manual stimulation and/or cash rubdowns.
** SNEAK PEEK **
We got the issues in yesterday, they rub on my eyelids without my nodding.
It looks crooked in the first photo I don't know why, its not actually crooked:
Excitedz.
Anyhow, hitting the road tomorrow morning early and won't be back till late Sunday, so in the meantime, keep your panties tucked tight and your fingers liquidated. Order will begin shipping upon return, thank you to those who preordered, thank you to those who will order soon or now. :)
Byebyez.
Friday, August 8, 2008
NO COLONY NYC LAUNCH PARTY aka Politics Made the Earlobe Whittle, Wouldja Shush?
NYC launch party for ISSUE 001 of NO COLONY will be going down at BARBES in Park Slope Brooklyn --- Friday AUGUST 22, 7:30 PM.
If you live in NYC please come. Directions are on the Barbes website. Please be on time a little too, because there is an event after us at 10. Assumedly the party will bleed out to elsewhere after, I want to accost NYC with margarita blood and make videos.
We will have issues of NO COLONY freshly in our hands (they are to arrive the day before, please someone make UPS not suck a d this once).
Readings by Robert Lopez, Tao Lin, Giancarlo DiTrapano, Justin Taylor and Nick Antosca.
If you live in NYC area, please help spread the word, I want the walls to snort when I wiggle and maybe there will be live pigs we can bring in and roll around with and maybe I can forget how to talk.
Ken Baumann's ass is supposed to be in the house from all the way across the country, he is going to do it, you should email him and tell him make it happen no matter what, he is on the fence a little, push him over.
Also tell him HAPPY FUCKIN BDAY MISTER!
I am excited to be coming back to NYC.
Right now there's some sort of bitchass crawling in my urethra.
Not physically, but like a mental liquid noose.
I want to take a bite out of a baby, I'm not kidding, how much would that cost?
The internet is like my cooter, it keeps making me randomly upset but often glorifies my yamkitten.
I have the tattoo mapped and/or not at all.
Vast Aire's new record DEUCES WILD has a track with the hook: I'm not a rapper I just talk alot. Obviously squatting on Big Pun's 'player's anthem.' I like Vast Aire, his voice sounds more nasal than most rappers, he is smart, the new record has really weird, creative beats, rap is tickling my yearnum
someone needs to email that lyric on loop for like 20 hours to certain people's computers in a vein of sludge they can't stand up from,
I sometimes imagine hordes of special liquid coming out of the monitor like a billion hands and one or two of them touching special moments but the most of them like beating like the shit like out of like my head
my face
More nice now.
Brandon Hobson reviewed THE WOMAN DOWN THE HALL on Clusterflock. Thanks to Brandon.
Justin Taylor's first poetry book is out now from the new X-ing Press. Congrats to Justin, the book looks beautiful, I am about to order it.
Ellipsis Press just put up preorders for two new novels, one by Eugene Marten (who crushed my ass with IN THE BLIND) and Eugene Lim (the editor of Harp & Altar). I have preordered both, I am excited. Also they are open to electronic novel submissions, their books seem really nice,
A lot is happening.
I will not be a negative fuck face
I will be a cordless drill carried in the sweaty palm of Klaus Kinski to make a peephole into the year of Draining
know what I mean
no, no
good mood
oh
last night someone got to this blog with my favorite google query ever,
they were from India,
they looked up
'horse insert his cook in women's pussy'
exactly like that
Indian man
googling
HORSE INSERT HIS COOK IN WOMEN'S PUSSY
i could think about the nuances of that conception for the rest of my life and be happy
next book title, swear to god
If you live in NYC please come. Directions are on the Barbes website. Please be on time a little too, because there is an event after us at 10. Assumedly the party will bleed out to elsewhere after, I want to accost NYC with margarita blood and make videos.
We will have issues of NO COLONY freshly in our hands (they are to arrive the day before, please someone make UPS not suck a d this once).
Readings by Robert Lopez, Tao Lin, Giancarlo DiTrapano, Justin Taylor and Nick Antosca.
If you live in NYC area, please help spread the word, I want the walls to snort when I wiggle and maybe there will be live pigs we can bring in and roll around with and maybe I can forget how to talk.
Ken Baumann's ass is supposed to be in the house from all the way across the country, he is going to do it, you should email him and tell him make it happen no matter what, he is on the fence a little, push him over.
Also tell him HAPPY FUCKIN BDAY MISTER!
I am excited to be coming back to NYC.
Right now there's some sort of bitchass crawling in my urethra.
Not physically, but like a mental liquid noose.
I want to take a bite out of a baby, I'm not kidding, how much would that cost?
The internet is like my cooter, it keeps making me randomly upset but often glorifies my yamkitten.
I have the tattoo mapped and/or not at all.
Vast Aire's new record DEUCES WILD has a track with the hook: I'm not a rapper I just talk alot. Obviously squatting on Big Pun's 'player's anthem.' I like Vast Aire, his voice sounds more nasal than most rappers, he is smart, the new record has really weird, creative beats, rap is tickling my yearnum
someone needs to email that lyric on loop for like 20 hours to certain people's computers in a vein of sludge they can't stand up from,
I sometimes imagine hordes of special liquid coming out of the monitor like a billion hands and one or two of them touching special moments but the most of them like beating like the shit like out of like my head
my face
More nice now.
Brandon Hobson reviewed THE WOMAN DOWN THE HALL on Clusterflock. Thanks to Brandon.
Justin Taylor's first poetry book is out now from the new X-ing Press. Congrats to Justin, the book looks beautiful, I am about to order it.
Ellipsis Press just put up preorders for two new novels, one by Eugene Marten (who crushed my ass with IN THE BLIND) and Eugene Lim (the editor of Harp & Altar). I have preordered both, I am excited. Also they are open to electronic novel submissions, their books seem really nice,
A lot is happening.
I will not be a negative fuck face
I will be a cordless drill carried in the sweaty palm of Klaus Kinski to make a peephole into the year of Draining
know what I mean
no, no
good mood
oh
last night someone got to this blog with my favorite google query ever,
they were from India,
they looked up
'horse insert his cook in women's pussy'
exactly like that
Indian man
googling
HORSE INSERT HIS COOK IN WOMEN'S PUSSY
i could think about the nuances of that conception for the rest of my life and be happy
next book title, swear to god
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
review of Robert Lopez's PART OF THE WORLD
Monday, September 17, 2007
Robert Lopez interview
A couple weeks ago I interviewed Robert Lopez about his novel PART OF THE WORLD. You can read it now at Word Riot.
If you haven't yet picked up a copy of his book, you really should. It has short nice sentences and is funny and strange and you pretty much have no choice but to read straight through it. My full review will be coming soon in Rain Taxi.
You can find out more about the novel from at its publisher's page: Calamari Press, who I think is by far publishing more great work than any other small press around right now.
If you haven't yet picked up a copy of his book, you really should. It has short nice sentences and is funny and strange and you pretty much have no choice but to read straight through it. My full review will be coming soon in Rain Taxi.
You can find out more about the novel from at its publisher's page: Calamari Press, who I think is by far publishing more great work than any other small press around right now.
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