Tracking the ever-elusive Great American Novel

[jbor at bigpond.com]

 From A.O. Scott's essay:
"One best-selling author (whose fat novels seem to have been 
campaigning for inclusion in this issue long before the editors dreamed 
it up, even though not even he bothered to vote for any of them) 
reflected on the poverty of our current literary situation by [...]" 
(p.2)

I wonder who Scott was referring to with this bitchy comment? Vollmann?

Meanwhile, Henry asked for terms for our wager and I provided them, so 
I assume the bet's on. To recap, his contention is that in a radio 
interview Toni Morrison once gave she was "ignorant" of the fact that 
the Venus de Milo originally had arms. I contend that he misheard or 
misunderstood her point.

Anyone able to settle the bet? (There's a $50- donation to waste in the 
offing.)

best

On 22/05/2006:

> And here's the list of the writers and critics consulted:
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/21/books/review/best-judges.html
>
> Just waiting to hear back from Henry on the friendly wager I suggested 
> ($50 donation to waste) about whether or not Toni Morrison really was 
> "ignorant" of the fact that the Venus de Milo statue originally had 
> arms.
>
> best
>
>> May 21, 2006
>> TBR
>> Inside the List
>> By DWIGHT GARNER
>>
>> http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/21/books/review/21tbr.html
>