That someone was me.
<< which may put him above any criticism from
rara-avis. How does one
criticize anything that doesn't fit any mold except that of
some vague,
undefined "magical realism"? Hell, the "Wizard of Oz" is
magical
realism!>>
I said that Willeford is sui generis - which mold of crime
writing does
he fit, in your opinion? For example, you could mention some
other crime
writer that he closely resembles.
As to magical realism, it is not vague and I was brief but
not vague in
referring to it - I mentioned its two most notable exponents
(Rulfo and
Garc=EDa M=E1rquez). Magical realism refers to stories in
which
extraordinary, inexplicable, illogical, or even supernatural
events are
presented in a nonchalant, matter-of-fact way, without any
hint of
abnormality. Long before JR and GGM, Pirandello and Kafka had
done
something similar. It is not my fault if you associate the
words
"magical realism" with Oz.
<<When I say "I don't give a shit about the genre" it's
only in the
sense of those who might elevate it into something it isn't:
a kind of
glam-lit along the lines of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Willeford as
the peer
of Fitzgerald. Man, that's a hoot.>>
It's a bizarre comparison...Besides which, no two writers are
"peers".
It's always every man for himself. I don't even know what it
would mean
to "elevate the genre". In my eyes, the genre is already
important
enough to read, write, enjoy, and discuss (as is much other
literature I
value outside of crime fiction).
<<Willeford is dead and won't be remembered 50 years
from now, except
from decaying paperback books. That's the case for most of
those we read
here. Tough shit.>>
Who can know?
Regards,
MT
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