Another polite reminder.

Please witness the Dolly Rebels' musical performance Saturday, April 1, at 8:00 in KU Pub. Admission is $3. Overwhelming sense of euphoria included.

Thank you.

Love,

Steve

Let me get this off my chest and move on.

Title: House of Leaves

Author: Mark Z. Danielewski

Publisher: Pantheon Books, 2000

I finished House of Leaves about a week ago, maybe more.

I would really rather not open it again.

First, the style:

This is what I would call a postmodern novel. In essence, that means it won't follow certain rules that one expects novels to follow. This includes publishing various editions of the text (see the bottom of this page), providing an unbelievable number of footnotes (here), and using multiple voices in the text.

At other points in the book, Danielewski bends the rules of presentation. Take this page, which is pretty representative of the book at its strangest. Elsewhere, pages contain one sentence or fewer, like this. The layout of the novel challenges expectations of what a novel is.

The story is even crazier. In fact, which story should I start with?

Zampano is an old blind man who dies. Johnny Truant finds Zampano's manuscript, The Navidson Record. Johnny Truant reads Zampano's book and slowly goes crazy transcribing it. What we read is mostly The Navidson Record by Zampano. The Navidson Record is about a movie, invented in Zampano's head, with the same title. In the movie, photojournalist Will Navidson, his partner Karen Green, and their children make a documentary about moving into their new house.

They soon discover this house is larger inside than outside--it has extra rooms, mysterious pitch-black freezing-cold rooms.

Wait, let me go back. Maybe "They SOON discover" is being too kind.

Zampano loves his digressions. And in his insane made-up world, The Navidson Record (the film) has a cultural impact on the level of the Bible. So every two pages or so, he stops and lets us know what the experts, the academics, the obsessive Navidson freaks--none of whom are real, remember--have to say. He has made-up quotes ranging from Good Housekeeping to Psychology Today. These account for many of the book's obscene number of footnotes.

So the story plays out pretty slowly, but it is interrupted every few pages by a rambling Johnny Truant footnote. Truant is an aimless drug addict, teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown. His footnotes wander aimlessly, grasping at some sort of bizarre half-reality in which he fears The Navidson Record and yet devotes his life to it.

Those are the players. Navidson, Zampano, Johnny Truant.

Now, let me go way back to when I first opened this book, in my parents' house, just before I came back here to Dayton at the end of spring break. My mom saw me with House of Leaves open and stopped in her tracks.
"Don't read that," she told me.
"Why not?" I asked.
"I tried to read it once. I had to put it down," she said. "It gave me a bad feeling."

Truly a ringing endorsement. But I pressed on. C'mon, it's a fucking book.

Well, in some ways I see what she meant. It's just not pleasant to read. Something about it is...not threatening, exactly, but upsetting. This is probably the most effective book I've ever read. It really makes you feel wrong.

At the same time, the layers of symbolism and hidden meaning are incredible. At least once a chapter, I would lower the book in shock because Danielewski just blew my mind again. The characters are perfectly crafted, and the action is so painfully paced--Zampano sets the story aside for six pages, then suddenly things are happening like crazy--that I couldn't put the book down, even though I knew it was making me feel bad.

The horror story is incredibly effective--I really care about the characters, I am really frightened by the mysterious evil, and I really want to know what the fuck is going on. Danielewski's greatest success, I think, is keeping the nameless terror in the void just beyond the reader's grasp.

The book is a success in many, many ways. Its haunting themes and eventual conclusion are wonderful. It truly is frightening and unsettling, and its characters are all fantastic.

So what does it do wrong? The same thing, I think, that At the Drive-In does wrong, for many people. It just won't stay put. It won't act right. In some sections, parts of words or entire words are missing, burned by ashes, Johnny Truant tells us. In other cases, Zampano has removed text with ink blots, which Johnny Truant represents with bold black XXXXs. The novel refuses to be contained, grasped, or mapped out. Its unrelenting confusion can turn people off.

That said, I've already had a few requests to borrow the book. Patrick Coate gets it first, and I'm sure he'll enjoy it. Mostly.

Oh, I never explained why the word house is always presented in blue. This occurs in the book, of course, and it is never explained there. In fact, it's thrown in the reader's face in the index (of course House of Leaves has an index); the index reads "house (blue)," followed by many entries, and "house (black)...DNE". So there. I don't know why he does it, but it adds to the unsettling feeling in its own way.

Summary: House of Leaves is one of the most challenging books I've read recently. It defies explanation. It is only approachable as an engima, a wall to climb, and its success lies in puzzling and disturbing the reader. Don't come to this book lightly.

Grade: I'm very tempted to give House of Leaves two grades; one if you're ready for the book and one if you aren't. But I think I'll settle for a B. I don't think it did anything wrong, and I don't think it could be improved in any way, so in that way it gets an A. Ultimately, though, I can't give something an A if I don't think people will like reading it. Think of shredder guitarist Steve Vai. He doesn't play poorly, but he sure shouldn't get an A--I can't get through two of his songs myself. So:

Grade: B.

Please, ask any questions you have. I'd be glad to deflect and ignore them.

One more thing: any day now, my new opinion article should appear at the Flyer News website. It's a good one. Enjoy.

Love,

Steve

A few Internet discoveries, and another empty promise.

Hello again.

I don't care much for the Internet. It can never replace the telegraph machine, as far as I'm concerned, or a letter in the mail. And nothing beats a good old smoke signal.

But I'll admit the Internet has its benefits. Take Dinosaur Comics at qwantz.com. These are funny. I like them. Click the line of text right under "Dinosaur Comics" to go to a random strip. The great part: every strip is the same except the dialogue! Every single strip looks the same! It's the funniest, laziest thing I know. But the dialogue is glorious and I love it.

Next up: I might be getting obsessed with Dave Eggers, but I didn't do this all on my own. Renata Marchione pointed me to the McSweeney's website, which is just amazing. Eggers and some others founded McSweeney's, which is a journal that I've technically never read. But I love Eggers (1, 2), so I figured I'd love McSweeney's website.

It is hilarious. McSweeney's offers pages and pages of ridiculous essays and these made-up lists that seriously had Renata and I dying of laughter at work. Take Authorial Candy Bars,with Their Respective Tag Lines,That Weren't as Successful as the Oh Henry! Candy Bar, by Jonathan Shipley. Or Methods Other Than Song by Which One Can Be Killed Softly, by Jonathan Holley and Emily Lawton. Just the title of that one made me kind of giggle. Or even Good Casino Ads / Bad Things for Someone to Say About Your Mom by Molly Dolan. I admit I'm just picking these at random. Don't get started on these if you have something important to do. But they're wonderful.

Here's the empty promise: a review is coming soon! I'll break down House of Leaves for you into small, manageable, easy-to-understand parts. Of course I am lying. But I'll do what I can.

So look forward to that.

And see the Dolly Rebels Saturday, April 1, between 8 and 12 in the KU pub. $3. 25 minutes. It's worth it.

Love,

Steve

Remember when Mikey had a blog? For like one day? DOMINATED

The big news:

The Vonnegut class is approved. It should appear on the website around Friday, according to the person in the Continuing Education Office.

The other big news:

The Dolly Rebels (we should really get a new name, maybe) are playing SATURDAY, APRIL 1 in the Battle of the Bands. It will be thrilling. If you have a soul, come see it. $3. KU Pub. 8 PM.

The lesser news:

A review of House of Leaves will be coming soon. If I can handle it.

I volunteered Saturday morning at a place called House of Bread, giving breakfast to the homeless in Dayton. It was fun.

And that's just about it.

Love,

Steve

A return, perhaps?

I have to resist the urge to present this post in multiple fonts, footnoted, and arranged at random.

See, I've been reading House of Leaves, a novel by Mark Z. Danielewski. It's a little difficult to explain.

Let's call it a postmodern novel. It has stories inside stories, and it's just really schizophrenic and frightening. It's a horror story, and it really is scary, on multiple levels. I love it. I'm not sure a review could really do it justice, but we'll see.

On other topics...

Vonnegut class: still no word from those heathens in the Continuing Education Office. Apparently they haven't decided yet. GRRRRAR I'LL EAT YOU
Chile: still going there. Nothing new to say, I guess. I still suck remarkably at Spanish.
NEW ADDITION Grad school: fuck grad school. Teresa just started looking at med schools, which made me realize I need to start on grad schools, and it's just overwhelming. Where'd I put that cardboard box?

Hey, I got an email from my friend and former supervisor at Stuart Hall, Charles Kellom, yesterday. It contained a letter to the editor of Flyer News that he wanted them to publish. It's a response to the response to my article on reparations.

It hasn't been published yet on http://www.flyernews.com, but it will be soon. Perhaps when you read this. So go to that link, then check the "Opinion" headlines for anything referring to reparations.

I read over Charles' letter, and I declare him the winner. Done. Don't argue it.

What should my next opinion article be? I already wrote one on irrelevant national news and another about those little yellow "God Bless America" or "Support Our Troops" car magnets.

WHAT NEXT WILL EARN MY WRATH?!?!

Lastly, I demand you go to this website: http://www.qwantz.com. GLORIOUS!

Love,

Steve

Yes, I am still terrible at posting regularly.

Hello again friends,

Sorry I've been lazy. Here's what's happening:

I am currently copying my notes onto a take-home test. I mean, I'm literally spitting the words right back to Dr. Dan Miller.

It's an interesting class, and I feel like I learn a lot, but this test isn't measuring that at all. It's measuring class attendance as much as anything else.

I got a response to my reparations article. It's located here. Think what you want of it. I'm offended that he called my article a "letter to the editor." I'm on the staff, FUCKBAG!

No, really, his arguments are not great, in my opinion. Particularly the early paragraph that begins "Now compound that argument...". That paragraph is a shame to reasoning.

Still, it's nice to get something besides certified anencephalitic Karl Gustavson ranting in the opinion pages.

What should my next article be about? I'm leaning toward the national TV news channels' tendency to report "shit stories"--see Neil Entwistle, Natalee Holloway, Jennifer "The Runaway Bride" Wilbanks, and many, many others. We get CNN, CNN Headline News, and Fox News here at UD, channels 6, 5, and 4. I swear, at one point all three were reporting on the same CAR CHASE in ATLANTA that DID FUCKING NOTHING!!!!

Dear God! Isn't there an expert on, I don't know, ANYTHING that you guys could be interviewing right now?!?!?! I'd rather hear you talk for hours about relations between India and Pakistan, or Israel and Palestine, or Lebanon and Syria, or fucking South Africa and Never Never Land rather than some idiot bullshit that just doesn't matter outside of that family or town.

Please, keep it to the local news. It's ridiculous. Johnzo (John Gueltzow, my neighbor and the managing editor of Flyer News) says he saw a Daily Show episode in which they reported that Fox News covered Neil Entwistle for TWELVE HOURS in a 24-hour span.

For those who don't recall: Neil Entwistle is that guy who doesn't fucking matter.

So I think that's my next article. Any other suggestions?

Anyway, tomorrow starts spring break. Back to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. See some of you there.

Love,

Steve

My opinions are publishable, apparently.

God dammit. I totally failed to post regularly.

I am pathetic.

But here, let me make it up to you...with the entire Flyer News opinion article I wrote.

It can be difficult to admit you’re wrong.

But now is the time.

In fact, 141 years ago would have been the perfect time.

White people of America, it’s past time to admit that we owe black Americans for years of enslavement, followed by years of segregation and discrimination.

I feel I hardly need to prove that African-Americans are disadvantaged economically. Twenty percent are without health insurance, according to 2004 statistics, compared to 11.3 percent of non-Hispanic whites. The median income of black households, $30,134, is only 62 percent that of non-Hispanic white households, $48,977. Black households own their homes 48 percent of the time, while the rate for whites is 75.7 percent.

Critics might complain that there is no way to know that slavery is the ultimate cause of this economic disparity. I would argue that the cause is not nearly as important as the solution. Don’t you help someone up, even if you didn’t cause him or her to fall?

Still, for the sake of argument, let’s find out if blacks as a race had a chance to escape the disadvantages of slavery.

Following the Civil War, outright discrimination in the laws of the South prevented the political and social advancement of African-Americans. Set free from bondage, ex-slaves were immediately cast into segregated facilities, including the often-cited path to advancement: education.

Segregated schools worked to prevent blacks from achieving equality. Without an equal education, already-poor blacks had little chance to advance compared to whites.

Those that departed for the North discovered the wage slavery of factories. An absolute lack of capital ensured a future of perpetual wage labor for these families. In the Northern cities, the pathetic urban schools reflected their Southern counterparts: rather than improving the condition of blacks following slavery, they prevented equality for blacks.

The purpose here is not to evoke pity for the ancestors of American blacks, or for modern blacks.

The purpose is to demonstrate that black people have been continually denied opportunities since they were brought here through the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

“So African-Americans deserve reparations,” a critic might say. “But why should I have to pay them? I never owned slaves.”

My answer to this problem is a dangerous one.

Forget yourself.

Individualism is extremely important in America. It can be extremely difficult to think of oneself as a member of a larger movement or group.

But the fact is, white people should recognize that if blacks today suffer from the effects of slavery, we still enjoy the benefits of slavery.

Of course, I don’t mean we live on Southern plantations or accumulate wealth from our cotton crops.

I mean that, speaking generally, we don’t go to inner-city public schools. We don’t have the same problems with home ownership or health insurance.

When black families were set free with no wealth and no way to get it, our families had something – perhaps not much, but something. And this inequality was never rectified.

The final objection I can imagine is this: “Here in America, we believe in economic freedom. We don’t have time to right every wrong in our history. The government has no right to tax me for past injustice, because we are a free-market nation.”

Perhaps all that is true, from the white perspective. It might be a free market to white people. But to blacks, it’s still in chains.

Dominated.

In other news, not a lot is happening.

Oh, I got a "No" from Vonnegut's publisher. That's okay. It's what I expected. They did wish me luck in the class, which indicates that they read my e-mail.

I applied for a passport for my trip to Chile. Hahahahahahaha I'll tell you about it in person.

Jason took out the trash Wednesday night, marking the first time in three weeks that the trash was removed from our property. Hooray, Jason.

And I think that's all. Please comment and tell me what to review next. Maybe it'll be the latest issue of Flyer News.

Love,

Steve