Started this. Holy fuck that preface. What the fuck is his problem?

Started this. Holy fuck that preface. What the fuck is his problem?

Started it recently too, i thought the preface was pretty awkward too, and the quality of the writing had me worried, but so far the writing in the stories is very good

This isn't my first Gass (I read some of his essay work first) but that preface was odd to say the least. He's a good writer clearly but like calm the fuck down.

i get you, and i really like gass's writing, but i thought it was really weird.
i think it was his incessant use of awkward similes

What's the problem? I didn't read it.

he kind of just went off, in sort of a bad way.

What is that even supposed to mean?

just fucking post the pics of the preface so we can read it.

no, i will not post 20+ pages of preface

One page then, for the curious fucks here.

Why not just post the greentext short and sweet of what he said in the preface?

wow you're a fucking faggot

It is so rambling it is hard to even explain.

a representative paragraph or three would do

Very much liked 'The Petersen Kid', but didn't see what the fuss was about with any of the rest of it.

...

this is pretty good, i dont see the problem

Sounds like he was made to do it (out of convention or obligation) and he doesn't quite like that idea. Sounds like he thinks that books and stories can go unexplained and who the fuck cares, as if to say that commentary on a book is a just more to a story, when the story would suffice. As he says, and I'm paraphrasing to make it easier, that if women had to make each cell individually, not too many people would be born.

It definetely wanders and rants, and when you do that in writing, I think it might suggest you are bullshitting, and to further address that, he sort of explains that he doesn't really know what he should be writing here, that some part of the art is left to spontaneity and letting things be.

I only read the first page though.

You were right op and others. A mess.

My favorite thing from Gass is his Intro from The Recognitions, in which he becomes Fake William Gaddis at dinner parties

Guys, I keep getting confused between Gass and Gaddis. Is there a memorable limerick to distinguish the two?

Gass has a fat ass.

gaddis is the baddis

gass and gaddis - just pynchon with some badness

Gass has a fat ass, Gaddis is famished.

i hope you chucklefucks are proud of yourselves

gass eats ass; gaddis is the fattest

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Have some gold :)