A Week’s Recapitulation
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Books in que.
It’s been a great week for the site; Pages to Pixels has been honored with hits, hoorahs, and hotties. Well, not actually any of those things, but instead: Three interviews, two guest posts, a new poem exhibition series, and a bunch of attention. Let’s Recap.
On Monday, I was happy to interview Eliot Triechel about Stargazer––recently published in Narrative––and discuss the regular focuses: E-readers, inspiration, writerly enterprise. Something that stuck with me:
“[E-readers] will be a good thing, especially as people figure out how to fully utilize these new mediums—how to really write for then, rather than simply having work converted into them.”
Tuesday, Pages to Pixels had its first interview with cover designer Marian Bantjes. I consider design and literature inseparable, though I’ve only recently thought to interview cover designers to that effect. Her response to my prodding over e-books was the stuff of a dream:
“Well, e-readers pretty much ditch any artfulness at all.”
Wednesday came, and so did a wonderful guest post from Marc Nash. I’d seen the post––a critique of e-books’ propensity to ditch aesthetics––on his blog; he was kind enough to let me filch it. I keep track of those rare writers who challenge norms, so look for more from him in the future.
“Book covers may once have mattered when browsing in a bookshop, but now? Kindle certainly places no value on them. And yet I would be loath to stop working with book designers and graphic artists and give them my commissions, because to me the cover is part of the book qua artefact.”
I had fresh basil on Thursday, but didn’t post. I had an interview planned; unfortunately, tech problems ruined it. In the future, I believe, writer interviews will be featured Monday and Thursday.
Friday was good to the blog. Robert Mcdonald spoke about writerly preference, intriguing poetics, and running a bookstore. I’ve always had trouble relating to Young Adult stuff, but he’s sort of interested me in a little literary investigation.
“I have been a bookseller for 20 years, so I am predisposed to panic at the mention of e-readers. But really, I don’t have any fears about the survival of the printed word, including the book. It may be that e-readers will bring some publishers down, but publishing that the mass media pays attention to is all large-scale corporate publishing.”
On Saturday, I went to the Fine Arts Museum and drank a lot of coffee. I have a new belief that the designed harmony of architecture and nature is prettier than either architecture or nature alone.
I tried, many times, to explain the virtues of abstract expressionism to my girlfriend, but she is a pragmatic girl and has no time for irrelevant theories.
I admired this painting:
I also liked a de Kooning; his infant daughter broke into his studio and crawled on it, leaving hand prints. He left them on the canvas, as a testament to the capriciousness of creation. I am reaffirmed in my belief that randomness allows the only true art.
Furthermore, Ashok Karra wrote a fine analysis on On Squaw Peak, by Robert Hass. He’s a smart guy, and it shows in his interpretation. Otherwise, the “Poetry Discussion” series I had planned for the blog probably won’t be a realistic venture.
Today, Sunday, I ate this:
Pages to Pixels also celebrated the opening of a new series, “Poems On Loan” where a popular literary journal lends their poetry for a week-long exhibit. Things kicked off with Sarah Rose Nordgren‘s About the Hammer, and Possible Names for a Country House.
I certainly couldn’t have asked for better. Thanks everyone.
Next week, we have Christopher Bursk, Garth Risk Hallberg, Barbara deWilde, among others. Look out.
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