Monday, May 07, 2007

I Drone Myself Into an Unexpected Carl Sandburgian Transcendence


Hi! It's Monday, and from what I have heard through our various Pendarvis Building opinion polls, many of you turn to the "blog" on Monday mornings when you are supposed to be working for "The Man." That is why I would like to "link" here to a nice review my new book received. I reported it first on Saturday, I believe, when "blog" reading hits its low, according to our many focus groups. And since then, I've buried it under all kinds of fascinating tidbits. So I need to bring it up here to the top of the "blog" again. Crass? Perhaps. But as long as I am giving away so much milk for free, I hope it is not untoward if once in awhile I prod you toward the purchase of a nice cow. The title of this particular "post" is a paraphrase of my favorite part of the review. It's not so much that I really believe I ACHIEVED what the reviewer credits me with, but it feels good to know that he noticed what I was TRYING in the story to which he's referring. And I'm happy to receive a review from THE BROOKLYN RAIL because its title makes me think of Hart Crane, these lines in particular, an affection for which I share with a certain member of Hubcap City (Crane sees a strange reflection in the window of his subway car): "And why do I often meet your visage here,/ Your eyes like agate lanterns – on and on/ Below the toothpaste and the dandruff ads?" Crane is talking about Poe. But the picture I am putting with this "post" is Sandburg. See, my fiction is a lot more focused than this.