I no longer see literature as an art or entertainment. For me literature must fulfill a certain mission in categories of history and justice. Literature is the art of correcting injustices. If there is nothing…
Working on a kind of sequel to Dear Layla Welcome to Palestine, I am imagining a character named Bella Levenshteyn, who in her twenties devotes herself to learning Yiddish, the language of her ancestors. At…
“Emerson was not a systematic reader, but he had a genius for skimming and a comprehensive system for taking notes…. He read rapidly, looking for what he could use.” p. 67 “He read widely in…
I first read this in August 2005, a seed Dear Layla came out in 2015, fruit That is why I want to use short chapters, each with verselike heading, and very many such chapters; slowly,…
1. Yesterday I was rereading Chilean poet Nicanor Parra’s After-Dinner Declarations, which I first read in 2013, and came across this page with my scribbles: 2. In Dear Layla Welcome to Palestine, these scribbles became…
I read Reznikoff in summer of 2010 As much as I could find Used, at Amazon By him, about him I like his spare style That was the year I was generating a piece a…
My friend Lindsey Weston sent me this letter in November of last year. I am happy to share it with you.
Do you like stories in which nothing happens, too? Well, in my film everything happens … OK? I’m putting everything in … Even the Sailor doing a tap dance. –8 1/2
A Response to a Letter from 4514 Chouteau Avenue How many times can one read the same 4 sentences? 14 and counting, I guess Your lines on Chomsky’s fire for linguistics Him, just diggin’ it…
Dear Professor You asked how things are going in grad school Here’s today’s highlight— Before going to class today I stopped at Starbucks to get a latte As I was walking back to my car…