We lost electricity in our wind-powered apartment complex during Snowpocalypsalooza, as did 80,000 others in Montgomery County. We survived in spite of the irony, even though we’ll never get those 6 unproductive days of our life back. Once our internet was restored, though, we did a whole lot of surfing:
-I had never heard of Ted Gioia until I read his stellar “Notes on Conceptual Fiction” (second post down). Maybe it’s because I’m “teaching” a class that uses science-fiction to teach composition, but I couldn’t agree more.
-For the sake of God, do yourself a favor and read Rion Amilcar Scott’s incredible “Facts on the Occasion of Black History Month” over at PANK. My favorites: 5, 9, 23,26.
- Speaking of Pankish things, our copy of #4 was ruined by the dang snowstorm. After tweeting our frustrations with the USPS, the lovely Roxanne Gay (who I’ll probably be raving about for the next 77 years, especially after reading her story in Artifice) sent us a new one. We promised to give them something extra special when we run into them at AWP.
-Speaking of AWP: we’ll be there! We couldn’t afford a table, but we can’t wait to annoy the ever-loving crap out of everyone who does.
-I smoked a cigarette with New York Times book reviewer Walter Kirn, because I’m the man. I’d be surprised if I ever share a cigarette with someone as mind-bogglingly brilliant as Kirn ever again. Instead of repeating the gossip he told me about a certain critic at the New Yorker, I’ll share his response to Richard McCann’s question about what brand he smoked: “Brand loyalty? Brand loyalty is proof that you aren’t addicted. Real addicts buy whatever’s on sale.”
- We purchased a classified ad in this (and next) month’s Poets and Writers. Even though we paid for the privilege, we’re still giddy to be on the pages of a publication we’ve been reading for years.
Somebody give me a high-five for getting this post up before noon.
