Lit Randomness: Stories at Necessary Fiction, Gigantic, Lifted Brow, Dogzplot Flash, Fictionaut

An Insurrection by Robert Swartwood: At Necessary Fiction.
Dodge Rams & lip rings & bumper stickers.

Gigantic America One Sentence Prose Preview: At Gigantic.
Meant to submit to this & forgot, but this issue looks cool.

Twelve Poems by Tao Lin: At Lifted Brow.
Read what has caused a stir at HTML Giant (100 plus comments!)

The Music With You By Eric Bennett: At Dogzplot Flash.

Wall and Key by P. Jonas Bekker: At Fictionaut.
Just went to Fictionaut, looking for something random & this story came up. I appreciate sledgehammers.



More after the jump...

Is Shoplifting from American Apparel the new Catcher in the Rye?

(Ed.: There is a fine line between stupidity and courage and we cross one of the two below. Read Tao Lin's Friday Five.)



Meant to review this properly, but this review then this one and then the death of this author made me think and think some more. So here are a few bold statements.


I liked this book. Against all of my natural inclinations, against my natural prejudice (or jealousy) of Tao Lin's unique style, against the ‘hip’ and cool reference in the title, against his reference of an underground punk-rock festival (to prove how underground/how hip/how cool he really is?), I liked this book.

I liked the breakdown of the Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich. I’m a sucker for fast food references, I think they are still one of the least explored symbols in modern life; they are rich not only in saturated fat but with the meaning/expression of modern life, and yes I include Starbucks in there too and this passage represents why Tao Lin is a good, a frustrating and true writer:

“I long for a Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich,” said Sam.
“We should get them together,” Robert said.
“But I know I won’t feel good eating or after eating it,” said Sam. “I only like thinking about it.
“We should buy them then throw them away,” said Robert.
“Carry it around,” said Sam. “I would do that.”

It is flat. It is supposed to be. In a world of television sets, movie screens, computers, mobile devices and smooth windshields, this is an accurate representation of contemporary life. The style is the subject it represents. Real emotion is flattened when all emotion is tirelessly and endlessly repeated, dictated and shown.

“I feel tired of life”

Shoplifting from American Apparel is the new Catcher in the Rye. Here are my reasons for both books:

An intriguing and somewhat controversial style that delineates generational preferences. Flat is the new phony.

To happen or not to happen? Doing nothing and more nothing, waiting for the payoff and wondering if there is a payoff.

CITR: “ Anyway, something always happens. I came quite close a couple of times, though. One time in particular. Something went wrong, though--I don’t even remember what anymore.”

SFAA: "I think we are going insane," said Luis. "From not being around people. We are starting to go inside ourselves, and play around inside our own mental illness. That doesn’t make any sense.”

Of course what happens is that everything happens.

The same and the same. That red hat and American Apparel. Drunken phone conversations and bored Gmail chats. Dancehalls = status = brand names. Literary allusions = band names. Thrown out of school = shoplifting and going to jail.

Young adults. Adrift. All those screwballs and hipsters.


More after the jump...

Friday 5: 5 Best Things Tao Lin has read recently

Albums of the Decade Blog Tour continues with Clicky Clicky.



There was Blake Butler last week and now Tao Lin. The heavy hitters don't stop around here. Lin is most recently the author of Shoplifting from American Apparel, out now from Melville House.



Tao blogs here, can be found in multiple corners of the 'net (old school!) and now has apparently started a band. Here's the five best thing he's read recently, as submitted earlier this month.

5. "Do not touch the high voltage paddle units which protrude from the underside of train" (part of a sign on the BART in San Francisco)



4. "Chinese Food and Donuts" (a restaurant in L.A.)

3. "Pancakes R Us" (a restaurant in L.A.)




2. "The Mystery Books are too depressed to do anything anymore. There was a tape called SLEEP FOREVER and then there was nothing for a long time. I think they will come back soon with something. I'm not sure but hopefully they will feel an urge to do something again." (the "about" section on The Mystery Books' Myspace page)

1. "More people kill themselves from country music than any other genre of music. Horrorcore is no worse than a Stephen king book. carles killings been going on where you been? I hate stupid f***s that try to bunch us all in one group. check out the local news that will make any man go crazy faster than a horrorcore cd. ." (a post on a message board on the website Juggalo News)

More after the jump...

Lit Randomness: R. Crumb on Genesis, Tao & Kmart Realism, Best of the Decade, Glen Beck & literary fiction

The Book of Genesis like you've never seen it before. R. Crumb's adaptation: At a wire service (from Bookslut)

Couple of days old but...the experts' books of the decade versus their highly educated readership: At The Millions. (I'll take the highly educated readership).



Tao Lin and Kmart Realism: At The Rumpus.

Did I already link to this? Glen Beck and literary fiction: At Salon.


More after the jump...