FOR all its intellectual posturing & theory, steppenwolf is rather dull and underdeveloped. the blame goes to harry himself -- he whines and smells like old // the conflict is readily accessible on a cerebral level, and that's exactly the problem, he's exploring the route to understand life, not live it. i'm interested in his solution, if he stumbles upon one, but he's so devoid of romantic sympathy that the hell with him, i'd rather fancy pablo, hermine and the likes

so i was in good conscious able to start gao xianjians latest (approriately enough at my chinese restaurant)

i had read his first, soul mountain, at such a time in my life that it made a grand impression on me i couldn't help but think what it would like to persue other alternatives

i remember carrying the 500+ tomb around in my napsack during my visit to paris, going from cafe to cafe reading and smoking and consuming large amounts of cafe au lait

it was a maddening time full of nervous anxiety & misplaced emotions. now i read his latestsomewhat calmer and more mature, and i think he is the same

it occurs to me that i only read contemporary authors that are from another place. if its true that our world is slowly losing its tangible reality, perhaps its because their tragedy and trauma are the only thing that are truly accessible....

perhaps its part of the human desire to suffer, or at least, know of it.

american writers can not write of it because they have not experienced it. their talent lies in self deprecation and mocking, in satire and half wittism, in making us laugh, in making us forget that our sickness and depravity really serves no purpose...

im generalizing, of course

i adore kingsolver

and admired chabon's failure for its ambition
(& franzens too)