Re: RARA-AVIS: Salt River by James Sallis

From: jacquesdebierue (jacquesdebierue@yahoo.com)
Date: 08 Jan 2009

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    --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "Brian Thornton"
    <bthorntonwriter@...> wrote:
    >
    > I happen to agree with you about Faulkner. I think like Hemingway, when
    > he's on (AS I LAY DYING, THE SOUND AND THE FURY, "Barn Burning"), he's
    > really on. My father introduced me to him (he's from Arkansas
    originally,
    > and we've joked back and forth about the pronunciation of
    "Yoknapatawpha"
    > for years).
    >
    > Have you ever read the "crime fiction" shorts Faulkner wrote such as
    > "Knight's Gambit" and "Smoke"? REALLY good stuff. They were
    collected in
    > paperback a few years back.

    Yes, I've read all of Faulkner and I reread him a lot. The problem with reading Faulkner is that when you try to write, you realize you have caught a virus. His style is contagious. There's a great story in Knight's Gambit having to do with wire and throttling. Very hardboiled.
     
    > And like I said, the reference to Baker's work was intended as a
    joke. I
    > looked up "derivative" in the dictionary, and saw his picture next
    to it.
    >

    Baker is OK in small doses. His articles are droll.

    Best,

    mrt



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