Tracking the ever-elusive Great American Novel

[jbor at bigpond.com]

That was my initial guess too ("fat novels [seemingly] ... campaigning 
for inclusion"), but on reflection I don't think that Vollmann would 
have complained about "the poverty of our current literary situation" 
and gotten all misty-eyed and nostalgic for Hemingway, Fitzgerald and 
Willa Cather amongst others. Irving? Barnes?

"The Human Fund" - ha. Gotta love George. Actually, waste 
(http://www.waste.org/) is the web server which provides this and other 
lists as a free service, and they do accept donations. It's a 
worthwhile beneficiary, given the context.

best

On 23/05/2006:

> I would definitely guess Vollmann.  I'm going to have a couple of
> months off coming up soon and I really want to plow through The Royal
> Family, because I've been sitting here reading RURD for awhile but
> honestly I don't know if I'm able to make an opinion on it until I can
> read his fiction.  I mean, I'm liking RURD, but generally speaking it
> feels like fiction can be a more honest judge of a writer's
> character... if that makes any sense...  just my silly inclinations.
>
> Anyways, yeah, I totally heard that thing.  It was all, on the radio,
> and stuff.  With Morrison.  And, uh, the Venus de Milo.  Arms.  May I
> suggest donating it to the Human Fund?  It benefits... humans.  Like
> me.

>> 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.)
>