* (restored)
1. Hand write your letters and make sure you write legibly. Remember to write clearly. Nothing stinks more than having to try and figure out what a person has written, it will be easily tossed aside.
2. Consider sending your letter in a brightly colored envelope. Don’t fill the envelope with glitter or anything – it could spill all over the star’s clothes.
3. Use a good pen. Try to find a pen whose ink is their favorite color. The use of pencil is absolutely prohibited.
4. I suggest you use stationery with manga characters on it, or stationery with rock/pop stars on it, or lined note paper or spiral notebook paper torn from the spine.
5. Make a special place to write your letters. When I write mine I put on some cool music and curl up in my bed.
6. Always try to obtain the most current address. Celebrities move around a lot.
7. You’re writing these letters more for you than for them. That said, make sure you’re totally cool with everything you actually do write. If you ever plan to run for the U.S. Senate, think about whether or not that “I love you so much, you’ve changed my life forever” sentence really does need to go to Justin Bieber.
8. You need to start off by introducing yourself, tell this person a little bit about yourself. This first part of your letter shouldn’t be too long as they may get lots of fan mail, so a long introduction will probably bore them.
9. Say how it is you got to know about them. Was it through a friend? Radio? Maybe it was through a TV show or a movie that you happened to see at the cinema.
10. Are they good musicians? Actors/actresses? Do you have a huge crush on them? Tell them.
11. Compliment them by saying you liked their outfit at the Grammy’s or something to make them smile.
12. You must worship them if you care so much what they think.
13. Try to minimize terms like “it’s like you know my soul” and “twin flame.”
14. Go on to tell them what piece of their work you enjoy the most and why. For example your favourite song or film scene. You could even tell them your two favourite parts, lyrics etc etc.
15. Don’t write a book.
16. Don’t list your age. If you tell them you’re 13 or whatever, they’ll read it like a thirteen year old wrote the letter, all squealy like.
17. Sample Letter: Dear______,
I’ve been a fan ever since I heard/saw _________. I think you are an amazing _________. I follow you career and can’t wait until _____.
I follow you on Twitter. I hope you hit ________ followers soon. It would be great to meet you someday. You inspire me to __________.
Could I please have an autographed picture? It would be amazing if you replied!
Sincerely,
__________
18. Sample Letter: Dear______,
I know you’re busy, so I won’t take up much of your time. I want to be a writer (Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you to read anything of mine.)
I was just wondering if you have any advice for new writers. Just one piece would be really helpful…
Love the book,
___________
19. Tell your favorite singer or actor or writer or whomsoever how his or her work helped you through a rough time in your life.
20. Never directly blurt out that you would want to meet them only give vague hints of that.
21. Don’t send demo tapes (audio or video). Don’t be disappointed. Don’t send demo tapes. And don’t send valuables.
22. Whatever you choose to write, just remember the joy they will feel as they feel the warmth of yours and many others’ fan mail burning in a fireplace.
23. Remember that a little bit of flattery can go a pretty long way. But be careful not to overdo it, like many girls or gay boys would simply write – “OMG OMG OMG, I LOVE YOU SOOOOO F*****G MUCH, I WANT TO MARRY YOU!!! XD” for example, which as you could probably imagine would be funny the first time, but then it would quickly become annoying. The aim here is to get the reader to think of you as a sophisticated person.
24. Writing “I’m not crazy” once makes the reader question the statement. Writing it more than 4 times makes you sound crazy.
25. You can finish a letter off with a question. This is the part that can help to generate a reply, so you need to ask a question that is not a yes or no answer, nor can it be a question which requires an essay length answer. If it can be answered in a line or two, then it is ideal.
26. Make sure to wish the celebrity luck with their future career when ending the letter.
27. Be sure to include a self addressed stamped envelope.
28. Do not use Lots of Love or Love from, etc. at the bottom with your name as it may scare the celebrities away from writing back.
29. It’s always cute to include a few pictures or drawings.
30. Don’t run to your mailbox everyday hoping for a reply. Your best bet is to just send it off and just be thankful that they might read it. Even though some celebrities are overwhelmed by fan mail, they are so thankful for their fans. Some may not show that, but without you, they wouldn’t be where they are today.
31. If the person is real hot at the time of your writing, it may take days, weeks, or even months for your mail to be read.
32. Face reality. Some celebrities won’t write back no matter what you do.
— advice collaged
*
p.s. Hey. ** Adem Berbic, Well, the good thing about being a writer is you can pour out and work/refine what seems inarticulable or quasi- in words and find out what works outside your head and what’s yours to keep. Knowing over nursing is my policy. Tracy Lynne Oliver’s prose is fantastic. And Gladman. Mm, I’m blanking on which work she’s referring to. I’ll see if I can check in on the book again and find out. This was the first time I feel like I got Berlin and fully enjoyed it for some reason. Yes, saw your email, and caffeinating is a go. I’ll write back to you. ** Jack Skelley, Jacko. On, the 23rd, that’s almost tomorrow. So I guess you’re over here already. Wow. Major fun and luck and etc. with the London event. Let’s check in and compare notes. xo. ** Steeqhen, Sounds like you could be right. I think you know I stay away from alcohol, but in my case because it makes me sluggish not wild. I get how hard it must be in the UK to socialise without alcohol involvement. Luckily Parisians seem happy to hang without that or with mere sipping. There was some other Anthony Burgess novel that everyone seemed to be into back when he was a thing, but I can’t remember the title. ** Bill, Berlin was really good. The screening was great, big theater, totally sold out, fantastic response. Couldn’t have gone better. There’s a beautiful Fujiko Nakaya fog sculpture at the National Gallery if you want to check that. ‘Magician’ is more ambitious, a full-on novel, excellent, and her prose remains super exciting. ** Dominik, Hi!!! Berlin was excellent. The screening was a big success. We’re very happy. Love writing a fan letter to you, G. ** Steve, Berlin was fun, thanks. The screening was amazing, huge crowd, and the response was extremely positive. No one I know who’s at Cannes has reported in yet. Don’t know that Ha Gil-jong film. I wonder if I can find it. Sounds! Everyone, Steve has launched a new episode of his vaunted music program. Check it out lengthily, obviously. In his words … ‘I posted a new “Radio Not Radio” episode this weekend. It features the Hobknobs, the Tubs, Miaow, My Best Unbeaten Brother, Paloma Morphy, Nwakke, Serebii, PS Hitsquad, Khmeii, Miharu Koshi, Moderator, Isaiah Rashad, Kehlani, Cypress Hill, Leak Bros, U. S. Steel Cello Ensemble, Onna Kodomo, Delphine Dora & Jérome Bouvet, the Sea Plus, Boards of Canada, Alabaster De Plume, Vic Bang, Tyler Friedman, Cabaret Voltaire and Mahavishnu Orchestra. Here’s the link. ** kenley, Hey hey! I don’t even sort of speak French. I just barely get by when the language requirement is extremely simple. Exactly, nowhere is imprisoning. Adventuring is the goal always. I moved to Paris for several reasons. One is that my bf of the time was Russian, and he couldn’t get into the States to visit, but he could go to France, so it was a way to be together in one place. Also I was writing the theater pieces for Gisele Vienne, and me being here made that much easier. And I’d always been a massive Francophile with dreams of living here. So, that’s why, mostly. Berlin finally made its full appeal clear to me in this trip because before I didn’t get it or understand why people like it so much. Now I do. I think just because I got around there more, and the great RT screening probably helped to. Have you been there, I forget? ** jay, Hi! Good book choices, duh. I remember what it was like when I finally had a bedroom that my parents weren’t trying to control and sneaking into looking for evidence of my misbehaviors. Very nice, yes, luxuriate utterly. I’m going to look into the Mannerism post thing. Mozart! Whoa! You’re doing awfully well to be immersing your fingers in that. I never got much further than trying to playing boogie woogie things when I was trying the piano. That’s super cool, pal. ** _Black_Acrylic, I think the Tracy Lynne Oliver book came out yesterday. In the States, I mean. Sadness for the Hearts. Sounds like a terrible movie title. But more importantly, go fucking Leeds!! ** Carsten, Hi. Berlin was nice. Other than the screening … roamed around, saw a great Brancusi retrospective and Fujiko Nakaya fog sculpture, went to the Farsi Museum, which is a museum about the Soviet/East German secret police in the building were they operated, and that was surprisingly fascinating. Ate Sudanese Falafel, which you can only get in Berlin and which is heaven. Stuff like that. I was particularly into the blues in my teens and early twenties because one of my best friends was obsessed with the blues, and I went to see shows with him a lot and bought records on his recommendations. ‘Touki Bouki’ is great. I actually assigned it to our Zoom club a while back. ** chris dankland, Hi, Chris! I know, right? I was so excited when Roxanne Gay sent me the ‘Magician’ mss. Tracy/xTx is such an amazing writer. I’m so happy she’s back and so killing it with that novel. Everything’s going good with me. I hope it’s the same and miore with you. If you get in the mood, catch me up, pal and maestro. xo. ** Sarah, Hi, Sarah! It’s so great to see you! Holy shit, your book is out!!! That’s so exciting. I’ll go get it. Wow, congratulations to you and to us all. Everyone, Sarah Cummins is a wonderful writer, and her first novel just now came out, and I so highly recommend that you go look at a bit of its evidence and score a copy. It’s titled ‘You Are Cursed’, and it’s right here. Yay! ** HaRpEr //, Berlin was awesome. ‘The Deloriad’ was recommended to me recently, and I was really impressed with her writing and the force in it. Haha, you’re almost tempting me to write a memoir, but not quite. Printing out a manuscript and going over it on the page makes such a big difference It’s weird, I don’t know why. I guess just the resemblance to an actual book maybe, but, yeah, I always do that too. I hope the blood test was ok. I’m a little post-trip burnt, but not too bad. ** Laura, Hi! Good choices. Wow, strange to lose an entire language and only one. I wonder why? As simple as the differently configured alphabet? Oh, there’s probably some childhood related pleasure in the washing machine sounds but, yeah, it also triggers the noise music fan in me. Shopping? Good luck with that, haha. I hate shopping. I sort of hate spending money or even entertaining the idea. But you never know. Berlin went really well. I sort of laid it out in pieces up above somewhere. Love back. ** ⋆˚꩜｡darbbzz⋆˚꩜｡, Hi, buddy. Thanks for looking and using your brain in that regard. I think you said you moved your piano or at least were going to. You sound like you’re conquering that piano with respect and dedication. Childlikeness is beautiful. People envy it and get pleasured even if they don’t like to reveal that. Speaking of beautiful, your time solo and with the beloved sounds so dreamy. It definitely added some brain cells to mine or tweaked some snoozing ones to wakefulness. Thank you! It’s so great that you’re feeling all of that! ** laura w, Hi there! Oh, thank you. I try to be picky with my blurbs. There are writers whose blurbs have that effect on me and book purchasing too. So happy you love the Kristof. Yes, I like Marie Redonnet very much. I have an old post about her work that I need to restore. Haha, no, it’s cool about the covers. I mean, you know, they just showed me a bunch of possibilities, and I had to okay the ones that least depressed me. It’s very nice to see you. What are doing or working on or whatever? ** Okay. Today I restored a really old post, like from 15 or more years ago, made by a long lost reader of this blog. I found it, and it charmed me, and I decided to try to charm you. We’ll see. See you tomorrow.
Now available in North America 
Very true. I guess I already understand writing to be an exercise in trying to make intelligible to other people what’s already barely intelligible to me, so that whole thing will be up to bat soon. It’s infiltrated my thinking around the launch as well — not that the launch needs to have some huge conceptual apparatus hanging off it, but I’m thinking a lot about how literature collides with the social world versus how other forms do.
On that note, it seems like we’re on the home stretch, but I’m still waiting for a slow-as-fuck venue to send me payment details for the booking before we start promo. It’s weird to basically be begging someone to let me give them money — and way too much money, I might add.
Berlin-wise, I’ve heard such a range of takes that I have no idea how I’d find the place. I know a bunch of people who’ve crashed out of the crazy, amped-up party side of Berlin, and I like globbing together and embellishing all those stories to create some nightmare version of it in my head. But I doubt that version would be the main draw in real life, unless the hedonistic part really is so gobsmackingly hedonistic that the hedonism becomes a means rather than an end (is that an oxymoron?).
The concept of fan letters, like literal ones, boggles my mind a little. I don’t know how one would have engineered their way into getting a famous person’s home address — although I’ve connived my way into getting a few people’s emails, which I guess is roughly equivalent. I remember reading an actually sort of touching thing about Toni Morrison being extremely diligent with responding to letters — three or four years after sending a little stub of mail, fans and young writers would get long and considerate responses, always starting with a profuse apology for the delay.
Awesome, looking forward to it, thank you. It’s gonna be a trillion degrees, so I’m hoping the brasseries have worked out how to do iced allongés by now.
Hey Dennis, congratulations on how well the screening went. Fan letters are so good, you’re probably kind of one of the few people actually keeping some form of it alive. The Harry Potter one is great. “From the USPS worker who follows you on Twitter” is extremely spooky.
I’m really, really glad you’re getting republished by Grove, even if their covers aren’t totally ideal. I know a few people who picked up the (Serpent’s Tail) reprint of Closer because of the Lynne Tillman blurb/introduction, so fingers crossed. I actually really like the new Grove Closer cover, it’s really striking. I think I’d probably take it off a display to look at a blurb, if I didn’t know anything about it.
Much appreciated about the piano, I’m sort of trying to play things that are way above my level, given how well that method’s worked for me learning languages, or getting into reading as a kid. I think more technically challenging piano also means I sort of have to take care of my arms, which I normally wouldn’t. Anyway, it’s a lot of fun, I think needing to focus a lot on something difficult is great for me. Glad Berlin was a success, adios!
Jay! wrists all the way up, and also good wrist rotation as opposed to hectic fingerwork if you’re going hard or very fast. if you either can take proper instruction from sheet music or just dgaf, the rest takes care of itself. happy playing, mate!
These are rules to live by lol.
I just sent you a picture of my handwritten inscription that never arrived (on Instagram) it looks like it could be in this post! SASE very important.
I love Grace’s spacing on “CUT IT” very graff writer.
Hope all is well and welcome back!
Hey Dennis, long time listener, first time caller. so great to meet you! I feel a bit embarrassed I couldn’t organize my thoughts how I wanted in the moment. I was hyperaware of the line behind me (and my two friends directly behind me, spectating my awkwardness in realtime haha) regardless, I appreciated your chill-ass energy and grace with all of that.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a bit implicated by this post haha, the handwritten card is a recent indulgence of mine. mostly at the behest of my mom, or her words finally reaching my ears, and her thoughts on how it feels to give and receive one. hope it wasn’t too cringe !
Glad you enjoyed Berlin despite the Q&A moderation (I can’t imagine a more German moderator), but maybe that was funny for you & Zac? Traveling to cities in short bursts like you guys are doing totally complicates vibe-checking places and takes a lot of extra energy. The city takes up a strange amount of real estate in the collective consciousness, but living here 9 years, I love the level of anonymity you can opt in and out of at-will.
My mom actually called from Kansas right before the screening about an eerie threat from my dad regarding any potential expulsion attempt from her house. It really primed me for the film haha, which was gorgeous, still haunting me in ways I hadn’t expected. Paul’s singing was especially beautiful and amusing. That brassy, cracking timbre, that I guess is pubescence or its remnants, but my brain has re-written as T voice to time. All performances capturing that American sensation of peoples’ words existing mostly parallel to one another, like no one can really hear you. You have a knack for that, but it rings differently in film.
Anyways, I hope you continue to ride a good wave with the screenings, jealous that you have Ivan Cheng moderating in Amsterdam!
Dennsss ! Yay, very happy Berlin was a smash. I’m headed to Europe today. We’ll be passing each other on the continent like to 2 shits in the night cuz I think you’re headed to Amsterdam (?) after I had just been there on my way to Milan. Anyway, here’s the deets on my Londumb gig: Sat. 30 May, Beasy Bar in Soho. The “Deleted Scenes” series. Joining me are Lotte Latham, Mary Morgan and Brodie Crellin. After that… Amsterdam and Efteling !! xoxo Jack
CORRECTION: London is 23 May ! (I’m barely awake) — Sat. 23 May, Beasy Bar in Soho. The “Deleted Scenes” series. Joining me are Lotte Latham, Mary Morgan and Brodie Crellin.
Hi!!
Welcome back—and congrats on the superb screening!
Any plans for the upcoming days? You’re not going to Palermo, only to Amsterdam, right?
I’m glad I wasn’t the recipient of some of these fan letters, haha. What an amazing collection they’d make, though! For some reason, they also made me think of my childhood diaries. I’ll have to find them next time I’m back at my mom’s place.
Love’s making me blush! Love not letting the pigeon get married, Od.
Hey man, how are you? I see a bunch of my friends on ig posting photos from your film screenings. Hope you’re enjoying doing the promo and aren’t too weary of the attention/being on the chopping block/etc….
I have been mad busy since I last wrote you. Lots of changes, positive mostly. Left my job at the bar and got a new one, it’s wfh which is ideal for my life, more suitable than the bar. Have also been shopping around a new piece of fiction. Got rejected twice but the rejections had notes of encouragement at least–both big establishment places, so lots of layers to cut thru–may have found another home for it though, and in the meantime just gotta keep writing…
Wanted to ask you a question: I am gonna be in LA soon, just booked my ticket earlier today. I’m in between apartments in New York so just gonna skip town and stay at my aunt’s house in West Hollywood. I know that’s your town man and you always have your finger on the pulse–anything there you think I should do/see/any people to meet? Artsy stuff of course but also general stuff. First two weeks of June, really just want to have a pleasant time,….
(Am asking other folks too, so won’t be short on ideas)
Much love from the hellfire that is the united states.
Keep the faith flowing!
-Q
Hey, beautiful screening Tuesday and seriously beautiful film, wow. It’s a shame there was no time for questions cuz it was such an engaged audience. And I thought some of the moderator’s questions were a bit odd haha, but you guys had good answers.
Social media has most likely seen an end to the physical writing of fan letters, something to feel sad about. I would defo ignore this guide’s advice and include plenty of perfume and glitter in my missives.
I went along to the Odeon today to see Northern Soul: Still Burning, a doc about the 70s UK dance subculture. There are still plenty of Northern Soul fans living life on the margins over here. My Auntie’s partner is known to break out the moves on occasion, for example. That kind of lifestyle, pulling an all nighter til 7am, living for the weekend, competitive dancing, it’s all part of working class history in this country. A precursor to Acid House and Raave in so many ways.
Mid-sentence of this comment a small bird flew into the living room & the family dog started chasing him like one possessed. Got him with his teeth & ran outside, where I was sure he’d devour him, but he let him go & the birds flew off unscathed. Don’t know if that bit of mercy was intentional, but what a scene…
Glad the screening was a success & you got to enjoy Berlin. Farsi Museum? You must mean Stasi Museum. That was the name of the East German secret police. Yeah that whole history is equal parts horrifying & fascinating. Not to mention the parallels to the surveillance state being built right now by Orange Mussolini… Just read that visa applicants to the U.S. must now set their social media feeds to “public” for vetting…
Cool that your friend’s love of the blues rubbed off a bit on your young self. I discovered the blues in my late teens too. The usual way, as rock’n’roll’s root music, via the Stones, Beefheart, Iggy, Tom Waits. My obsession has only deepened over the years. It’s practically sacred music to me. Wolf & Hooker were the first big mind-blowers, Hopkins I discovered later. Also African desert blues, Ali Farka Touré & so on. But yeah, my Duende Day featured here was partly a tribute to that tradition.
Ah good, you already know “Touki Bouki”. If I owned a bar (weird for a non-drinker) I’d project that film on a loop. “Yeelen” is very different, both culturally & stylistically, but it’s the other African masterpiece I doggedly push on people.
aaaa i was horrified there but the bird lived! they’re were just playing then, frolicking. galpals, basically ^_^
man i loathe this blog’s autocorrect thing, it’s always smth dumb and never ‘the kids and i went out for a leisurely wank on the beach’ iykyk
Back in 1986, I wrote a fan letter to Sonic Youth after hearing EVOL. Thurston and Kim didn’t reply.
THE POLLEN OF FLOWERS is streaming on YouTube, via the Korean Film Archive’s channel, although you may have to search by the director’s name. (They’re also offering his excellent THE MARCH OF FOOLS and several other titles.)
What’s Sudanese falafel? How does it differ from the Middle Eastern variety?
What was the Stasi museum like? There are some interesting documentaries and books about the ’80s East German punk scene and the degree of surveillance under which it existed.
Awesome that you and Zac enjoyed Berlin, Dennis, and the screening was great. I know that Hackesche Höfe complex, pretty cool despite all the gentrification around it. I did see the fog sculpture last fall, really nice in the big garden. Still getting used to the fact that I’ll be there in a little over a week…
Started reading the new Renee Gladman. Interesting how she is so absorbed in writing as a process. So Ravicka is influenced by Dhalgren! Wow.
Bill
hi Dennis!
so i can finally write the correct way to Bieber, no, fuck him, who is worthy… uh got it… Xenia Kharlamova — ty so much, hope it pays off =D
honestly Rimbaud was the master of the fan letter, like he sent his out and got a fan letter back. i’m probably not being fair tho. ok, he wrote a love letter and got a love letter back. that’s more like it. but fr did that kid hit all the right notes, downright symphonic, his shit.
lol @ the Stones antifan ‘you’re DIRTY ANIMALS’ i mean she sort of got the assignment? and anyway this is basically your average Gen Alpha fan letter lol, ‘omg you losers you’re such fucking clowns i love you’ <3
(Bowie’s Sabrina tho, no way you were thirteen, my darling. you were four or five, which makes you impressive.)
anyway so you get Berlin now? sick ^_^ there’s a lot to get, for me it took realising the massive scale of everything ugly, like nothing can be ugly and so big and not be actually cool. and then it’s just fun over there idk. great Habesha cuisine and yes Sudanese too. =)
your friend Sarah’s book sounds v up my alley (that blurbed bit about everything being diff but nothing changing, w/o going any further), so I’ll go get it. thanks for the rec and big congrats to her! ^_^
think i must have mostly lost Arabic bc it was my weakest language at the time. like Russian takes Cyrillic obvi but i still know what little i did pre-event, idk. i’d been trying to separate dialect from fus7a not long before the whole motherfuck, so maybe that primed all levels of language for destabilisation. sad. sad and bad. like it’s not totally wiped out but almost. less weird than it seems tho, the loss. or so i’m told. i also literally forgot who i was on and off for like a day or two and then for one obviously v weird night during which i also tripped like a mf, so like, could have been worse. turns out i like the burden of the self or whatever.
lol Dennis i’ll hold on to never for now knowing, but understand in this scenario you=baby, me=daddy. i’d be the spending one (unless a flight of extreme fancy overtook you etc)
i decided to sketch up my novel’s structure last night (made me so antsy) and eh all of that to figure out i’d thought the thing was a spiral and it is a spiral. lol. i sometimes think… ok, so there’s a plot in there beyond just narrative, with its twists etc— if i could stand the thought of writing like that and it didn’t bore me a lot, i could be dealing w a potentially marketable thing here. but instead i’m doing what i want, which is to sideline all that stuff and deal w the rest which is what i find interesting but also uhh ‘i just wanted to make some high stuff low and some low stuff high and all stories are temporary autonomous zones, right?’ good luck to me ^_^
anyway and since i’m not writing you a fan letter, <33
oh! properly rancorous i’ve not got my hands on RT yet and chuffed you guys are doing so well, but then i knew you would. might have found a way to watch by now, but it’s probably naughty and i do want to pay— hope my dilemma irritates you like it irritates me =( =D
Hi Dennis,
Fellini’s fan letter to Moebius is beautiful! “Everything that you do pleases me; even your name pleases me.”
I enjoyed RT very much! The scene in which Marguerite speaks to/about Extra at his graveside was one of my favorites. She makes all those great, funny faces throughout the film and seems so sweet and then such harsh words for Extra, who is humiliated even in his grave. And toward the end, the exhaustion and failed expectations of everyone involved were so palpable, and I felt like time was dragging on, as if I were right there in that uncomfortable situation myself, something I never really experience with movies.
And I was, of course, very happy (and quite anxious – so it’s good when you have an outgoing friend who can vigorously chat up anyone ) saying hi to you and to Zac, who was the niecest person despite my inability to express a coherent thought (let alone in spoken English).
Hope you have a great weekend!
‘even your name pleases me’ !!! bruv was all ‘i’m Italian, i can’t fail’ and if no-one thinks he totally ate it’s bc i’m dead lol
@Sarah, congrats on getting your stuff out! When I’m not broke, I will see about getting a copy.
Hey Dennis. Today is the 100th anniversary of Ronald Firbank’s passing. Funnily enough, he used to write his novels on postcards and letters whilst on holiday, I believe. I haven’t been in the best of health again, but it’s ok here. Last time I was in Berlin with my old partner, they complained that Berlin was too “American” in design. Having only been to New York and the backwaters of North Carolina, I don’t think I got that, but I would be interested in going back again.
I wish I knew this Billy Wisdom guy, seems like an interesting individual.
Hugs from me.
Hey. The blood test was fine. Just the typical bi-yearly one to check my hormone levels. I had to go without caffeine before and realised how addicted I am to it.
I did write a few fan letters as a kid but never heard anything back. Maybe my parents lied and never mailed them. There was this show I was obsessed with as a kid called ‘Tracy Beaker’ which I liked because it was so bleak and extreme and funny for a kids show. It was about a load of eccentric kids at an orphanage, and I tried to write to the lead actress via the BBC but received nothing. My adult fan letters have all been torn up before being sent out of embarrassment.
The main thing I’m having with my novel at the moment is if I lean into it being sort of scattered and fragmented or if I should try and make it more cohesive. Cohesion isn’t really going to work probably, because that’s insinuating that there’s a ‘whole’ and the whole thing is that I’m skirting around whatever there is at the centre of it all, and it’s naturally sort of in pieces.
Woah, I checked and Robert Creeley was born on the day that Ronald Firbank died. Coincidence?
hi again!! happy to be here.
if it helps, the serpent’s tail closer cover is pretty great lol. and i am really happy that those books are getting new editions. also glad berlin treated you well! some day i’ll go back to berlin- i’d love to go to the stasi museum. jealous of all the people who attended your screening! i was so tempted to go to the one in new york in december bc i’m a train ride away from the city but december is an evil month.
what am i doing/working on/whatever…
mostly just my real person job unfortunately. i work at a big academic library which is usually great except in the past like three months we got some big news and morale is pretty nonexistent. but that’s fine, it’ll be fine, no one has said anything about layoffs in my unit so we continue, so we persist. i’ve also reached a weird stalemate in my (personal, very much unpublished) writing efforts but i’ll figure out a way to get past that eventually, hopefully by reading a lot of the weird french books i find in the stacks. which is how i found marie redonnet and I then proceeded to read the entire forever valley-mellie rose mellie-hotel splendid triptych in two days and also during work hours (oops). so i guess i for one would be very interested in that blog post lol.
and now i’m in the weeds with swann’s way. i’m on part II and enjoying it so far but once i finish it i’m not going to be able to read anything for like a week i just know it.
thanks for the welcome!
also ps of my own: i actually have only written one fan letter and it was to you like a year ago lmao. no pressure to find it or anything, i just feel compelled to confess that on this post about fan letters on my second ever post on this blog 🙂
Hey Dennis, havent commented in awhile as life has been kicking my ass HARD. Did take the train to Seattle for a solo show where i sold a handmade CD exclusive non-streaming album full of psychedelic odds and ends… people bought which was nice! Story you may get a kick out of: an old friend who i’ve never talked books with specifically asked me for experimental-leaning French novels… idk why, but it must mean i’m doing something right! Told him to read Golden Fruits and Maldoror and Jealousy…
When I was in Berlin i was sick as a dog, but saw some Caravaggio and Ruebens stuff that i liked.
Anyway, just the two jobs and health stuff have made it hard to finish the zine at the moment, but its soooooo fucking close… i’ve been thinking about my past and, while I wont go into detail here, my tendency to attract people who are unstable or need lots of help, sometimes at my own expense… I need to find balance there. It’s hard, but i cant lose myself.
Also still reading lotsa Pinget, read four so far and loved them all, especially Passacaglia… wow, really special stuff! The way he cuts in between things is beautiful and bewildering, you can really sense the intention with the prose.
Def a charming post… “girls and gay guys” hahaha, love it. Also gonna get my hands on Magician… did Grove put that out?? Always nice to see them still involved with unique books. That logo on the spine doesnt seem to mean what it used to haha.
If i may be sentimental for a moment, the blog and your responses really mean a lot. Its hard to find people to talk about reading/writing in a certain way, and you def get where i come from. Even harder for people to get why work like yours has inspired me, because its not about gayness or violence or whatever per se, I strongly relate to your literary sensibility and approach. Also the cheerleading about my projects has made a huge difference (even if its in passing and you havent read any of the stuff hehe) You are a generous man! Sending love, and I hope the weekend is nice!