I read his New York Trilogy, first in paperback, and then collected the Sun & Moon Press first editions, then there were so many others, including his poetry as well as translations of 20th Century French poetry. One of my favorite writers. ✍️
The following is an excerpt from an interview he had with Louisiana Channel, which is so beautiful and true, and sounds like a legacy.
“The essence of being an artist is to confront the thing you’re trying to do. To tackle it head on. And if, in wrestling with these things, you manage to make something that’s good, it will have its own beauty. But it’s not a kind of beauty that you can predict. You know, it’s nothing you can strive for. What you have to strive for is to engage with your material as deeply as you can. Even if it’s, you know, funny. Even if you’re trying to be funny, you have to engage with it as deeply as you can. And I think this is why -- or this is how, I think -- I justify to myself how I’ve spent my life. Which is a very strange way to live -- alone in a room every day, putting words on pieces of paper. Wow, a lot of other things I can think of would be more amusing to do, and more meaningful to the world. But the thing about doing this, which is unlike any other job, is that you have to give maximum effort all the time. You can’t slack off. You have to give every ounce of your being to what you’re doing. And I don’t think there are many jobs that require that. You see lazy lawyers, lazy doctors, lazy judges. They can get through things -- you even see lazy athletes, who are just not making maximum effort all the time. But you can’t be a writer, or a painter or a musician, unless you make maximum effort. So, I can get up from a day’s work, and I’ve done nothing. I’ve crossed out every sentence I’ve written, crumpled up pieces of paper, thrown them into the garbage can, and I’ve nothing to show for it. But I can at least stand up and say, at the end of the day, I gave it everything I have, I’ve tried 100%. And there’s something satisfying about that. Just trying, as hard as you can, to do something.”
He was a uniquely American man of letters who was rarely afraid of experimentation, unlike others.
Beautiful tribute, thank you!
I read his New York Trilogy, first in paperback, and then collected the Sun & Moon Press first editions, then there were so many others, including his poetry as well as translations of 20th Century French poetry. One of my favorite writers. ✍️
Bittersweet, so lovely.
Your love letter was perfect. Even if he never read it, it's a testament to you and your bounty, your capacity for the beauty that moves you.
This was a beautiful tribute, Fotini.
Your reverence for this man and his writing was very moving.
And as an added side note, I had never heard of him. but your words (and his at the end of your piece) sold me on checking him out.
Thank you :)
Thank you Michael. I hope his words will find a way to reach you.
I enjoyed reading this.
The following is an excerpt from an interview he had with Louisiana Channel, which is so beautiful and true, and sounds like a legacy.
“The essence of being an artist is to confront the thing you’re trying to do. To tackle it head on. And if, in wrestling with these things, you manage to make something that’s good, it will have its own beauty. But it’s not a kind of beauty that you can predict. You know, it’s nothing you can strive for. What you have to strive for is to engage with your material as deeply as you can. Even if it’s, you know, funny. Even if you’re trying to be funny, you have to engage with it as deeply as you can. And I think this is why -- or this is how, I think -- I justify to myself how I’ve spent my life. Which is a very strange way to live -- alone in a room every day, putting words on pieces of paper. Wow, a lot of other things I can think of would be more amusing to do, and more meaningful to the world. But the thing about doing this, which is unlike any other job, is that you have to give maximum effort all the time. You can’t slack off. You have to give every ounce of your being to what you’re doing. And I don’t think there are many jobs that require that. You see lazy lawyers, lazy doctors, lazy judges. They can get through things -- you even see lazy athletes, who are just not making maximum effort all the time. But you can’t be a writer, or a painter or a musician, unless you make maximum effort. So, I can get up from a day’s work, and I’ve done nothing. I’ve crossed out every sentence I’ve written, crumpled up pieces of paper, thrown them into the garbage can, and I’ve nothing to show for it. But I can at least stand up and say, at the end of the day, I gave it everything I have, I’ve tried 100%. And there’s something satisfying about that. Just trying, as hard as you can, to do something.”
Thank you so much, Silvio for sharing this with me.