Late one night last week at the Gerasene Writer’s Conference, Mr. JOB and and I were conversing about books, books, and more books when the subject of Flaubert came up. I much enjoyed Madame Bovary when I read it ten years ago or more, but I found myself persuaded by his argument that the author had created a character the reader wasn’t intended to care a great deal for (I think I have that right, but of course I welcome any corrections to the contrary). I tried to recall another story by Flaubert that might better illustrate his style and purpose, but the conversation had moved on to Tolstoy, Denis Donoghue and beyond. I was failing fast; JOB never seemed to flag, all the while smoking, drinking, talking, and even taking care to correct himself in mid-sentence. Anyway, the book I failed to mention is Un coeur simple, and I was happy to find this excellent article by Anthony Daniels when I opened up the latest edition of The New Criterion. That’s article of interest #1.
#2 is the New Criterion Poetry Prize for a book length manuscript of poems that pay close attention to form. There are at least two or three such manuscripts that have been kicking around the Korrektiv offices lately … which increases Korrektiv odds to at least three snowballs in hell. Mathematically speaking, at any rate. McCain, JOB, whoever … apply!
Thanks. I found the article too mannered, but hadn't remembered this short story by Flaubert, which I'll look out for. Sentimental Education was one of my favourite books, though now I can't remember it, or what I felt while reading it.
My apologies for the verbose wordiness compounded by the garrulous prolixity, Quin.
It was a rather acute form of diarrhea of the mouth (and constipation of the brain) which I had subjected you to.
"Well I was pacing myself
trying to make it all last
squeezing all the life
out of a lousy two day pass
and I had a cold one at the Dragon
with some Filipino floor show
and talked baseball with a lieutenant
over a Singapore sling…"
-Shore Leave
JOB
It gladdens my heart to know that JOB and Jobe (or Jeb) met in Lickonaland.
Rufus,
Did I mention that camping conditions are ideal in Wisconsin?
JOB