Dirda on Books – Transcript Michael Dirda Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, May 26, 1999

Michael Dirda The Washington Post

Michael Dirda's name appears weekly in The Post's Book World section. If he's not reviewing a fat literary biography or an ambitious new novel, he's likely to be writing a lighthearted essay about the joys and burdens of living in a house filled with way too many books. Although he holds a PhD in comparative literature from Cornell, Dirda is still smart enough to be an unabashed fan of "The Simpsons," noting that "the show's genius derives from its details." He also loves P.G. Wodehouse, intellectual history, children's books and locked-room mysteries – just the sort of range you'd expect from a Pulitzer Prize winner for distinguished criticism.

These days, Dirda says he spends inordinate amounts of time mourning his lost youth and daydreaming ("my only real pastime"). Otherwise he just reads books and writes about them, with occasional visits to secondhand bookstores in search of treasures. He claims that the happiest hours of his week are spent sitting in front of a computer working on his reviews and Readings columns. "Do not imagine that I regard my taste for literary artifacts as anything but shameless and vulgar," Dirda says, "I have sunk so low as to covet Edward Gorey coffee mugs. I yearn for a bust of Dante to place on a bookcase."

Arlington, VA: A few weeks ago in this forum you mentioned the writer Gene Wolfe and said that the Book of the New Sun was "very tricky". Would you mind expanding a bit on what make his books tricky? I've always read that kind of comment about Wolfe it's always left me wondering what I might be missing. I mean, since it's a trick, if I'm tricked how would I ever know? I could be missing whole levels of meaning in Wolfe or interpreting the book completely backwards...reading Wolfe has always left me with a lot of insecurities...

Michael Dirda: Wolfe loves narrative deception,indirection and the like. There's always a lot going on his texts, usually more than meets even the best reader's eye. For example, with a little effort you can figure out who Severian's father is, but the identity of his mother is still a major crux, though Wolfe insists she is in the novel. Half the fun of reading hard writers is trying to solve such mysteries.

Salem, Oregon: Have you read Terry Brook's novelization of "Star Wars: Episode 1, the Phantom Menace?" Did you enjoy the story if you did?

Michael Dirda: Nope. Don't usually read novelizations. And personally I wish Lucas had stopped making Star Wars movies after the first one. Each has gone slightly down hill from the previous one, enjoyable though they are.

arlington, Va: As a thirty something, the high water mark for literature on the popular scene was l985 with a Bret Easton Ellis chat with William F. Buckley on his Less Than Zero, accompanied by other works of that time, such as Bright Lights, Big City and Slaves of New York, that as clearly as anything defined the 80s. What could you point to in this generation X that captures or illuminates the zeitgeist of this age?
I'm with you, pondering lost youth seems far more interesting that piecing together how D. Rieff could have come from S. Sontag.
Regards. A Fan

Michael Dirda: I'm probably too much out of touch to understand Gen-Xers, though I hope to learn more this fall when I return to a college campus to teach. If I had to, though, I'd point to writers like David Foster Wallace and A.M. Homes, as the hot writers of the current era.

Washington, DC: Some authors -viz. James, Heningway,Fitzgerald- generate a seemingly unending stream of biographies. What authors do you think deserve a biography but haven't received one?

Michael Dirda: Hmmm. If I knew the answer to that question, I'd have the book proposal I've been trying to come up with. The one major writer who's never had a first-rate biography is Paul Valery--unless one has been published in France that I don't know about. I'd also like to see good lives of, oh, Russell Hoban, Angela Carter, Iris Murdoch. No doubt they're in the works.

Columbia, MD: Why the sudden spate of well-received authors from India? Is it that some market forces saw an opportunity in "exotic" literature. Or is there truly some sort of literary explosion -in English- going on in India?

Michael Dirda: Some of it is undoubtedly a question of marketing--Salman Rushdie made straight the way for Vikram Seth, Arundhati Roy, Shashi Tharoor, etc. But there were always good Indian writers; they simply weren't hot: THink of R.K. Narayan, Graham Greene's favorite writer, or the wonderfully zany G.V. Desani (All About H. Hatterr).

Reston, VA: What do you know about E.L. Doctorow's efforts to develop a cable channel devoted to books?

Michael Dirda: Nothing. Or rather, I think I read he had such a plan a couple of years back. Has anything come of it?

Crystal City, Va.: You've mentioned Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy. I've always thought that Fuchsia is one of the most fully-realized adolescent females I've come across in fiction. Who else would you rank?

Michael Dirda: Who else would you rank? I'm not clear about what you mean. If you mean other fantasy novels--well there's Ursula Le GUin's Earthsea books, AVram Davidson's The Phoenix and the Mirror and its sequel VErgil in Averno, E.R> Eddison's trilogy.

Washington, DC: Where do you weigh in on the Hornblower vs. Aubrey-Maturin debate?
Also, do you have a favorite SF post apocalyptic novel? I recently read Kim Robinson's "The Wild Shore" and thought it was outstanding, but it's tough to beat "A Canticle for Leibowitz".

Michael Dirda: Love O'Brian extravagantly; but have only read a little Hornblower and that when very young. O'Brian seems to me a real novelist, while Forester is primarily a storyteller--but that may be too reductionist.
I too love Canticle--a favorite book, by the way, of the novelist Walker Percy. Did you see the sequel--St. Leibowitz and the Wild HOrse Woman? Reviews said it was actullly pretty good. My favorite post-apocalypse book is Riddley Walker, by Russell Hoban.

Silver Spring, MD: What have you learned about the impact of the major figure in many medias -music, dance, literature, drawing, & performance art- JOHN CAGE on the increasingly popular Fox TV series Ally McBeal? Though that John Cage was not referenced in an hour insider documentary on the series, I suspect that the character of the lawyer John Cage deliberately exemplifies, in part, the real John Cage's life practice. Most obvious is the lawyer John Cage's reputation for performing stunts. Have you read SILENCE and-or A YEAR FROM MONDAY, both published by Wesleyan U Press? How comfortable do you feel with an alternative literary tradition invoking Marcel Duchamp, Gertrude Stein, Buckminster Fuller, John Cage & . . .

Michael Dirda: Have only watched Ally McBeal twice, and don't remember which lawyer is Cage. Have read a little Cage, and would like to read more. I think of Duchamp, Stein etc as inspirational figures--pure artists--whose example means almost more than their work. Who actually reads Stein, other than snippets or Three Lives or The Autobiography? William Gass seems to have been the only current writer heavily influenced by her. I'm very fond of experimental art of all kinds--unlike Clint Eastwood, art shouldn't know its limitations, should always go too far, even if it fails.

Cambridge, Md: If I want to introduce someone to the work of John McPhee, which of his works would you suggest? I'd rather not do serious geology or the sports books.

Michael Dirda: There are two John McPhee Readers available, and both would probably serve your purposes. The traditional answer is probably Oranges or The Pine Barrens.

New York, NY: Your job is to critique writing. So critique your newspaper, the Washington Post. Do you find the writing to be high quality? Better than most papers? Or does it make you squirm -as most papers do to me, save for the occasional piece in the NYTimes-.

Michael Dirda: Journalism must by its nature practice a particular kind of writing, especially deadline journalism, hard news, late-breaking stories. As an old friend of mine used to say, "no vivid writing, please." Certainly, no one would go to a newspaper for the sustenance of art--the art may be there, but we mainly want information, enlightenment and opinion. A few columnists write very well and are always a pleasure to read; others give you the facts. Twas ever thus. Try to write 800 beautiful words in an hour with an editor clamoring for copy, and you may be somewhat more sympathetic.

englewood, nj: Could you suggest a very humorous and sexy novel to read?

Michael Dirda: Humorous and sexy--Candy or Lolita, come to mind.

Washington, DC: Have you ever been outside?

Michael Dirda: I have a lawn that takes three hours to cut, and until recently spent most Saturdays doing just that. Reading is only one of the things I do. Wanna play some pool?

Bethesda, MD: Every once in a while, one runs across a book club that is way out of the ordinary. One that existed some twenty years ago was the Time Reading Program. I note that today on Internet sites like www.abebooks.com that there is still a brisk business in these paperbacks. Whoever the editors were, they, in my opinion were unsung heroes in rescuing a lot of fine books from obscurity. Do you know of other book clubs or organizations who have done similar work for out of print masterpieces that would have sunk from view without their efforts?

Michael Dirda: The Time Reading Programm offered distinctive looking paperbacks, with stiff cover boards, and I can understand how people might start collecting them. I myself collect the Dent/Dutton series of children's books, the old Anchor paperbacks, the ones with typography and covers by Edward Gorey, and the original VIking Portables. All of these series kept older classics in print, and were handsome books to boot.

Front Royal, Virginia: From a fellow Chesterton fan:

If I'm not mistaken, GKC described himself as -primarily- a journalist. Is this the best he will be remembered as, with only occasional flashes of brilliance in a couple of novels and short stories? Or, in your opinion, are his talents simply underregarded by the current age?

-I love the early novels, Napoleon of Notting Hill, Ball and the Cross, Man Who Was Thursday, etc. -- would love to turn them all into screenplays if I had the time and talent!-

Michael Dirda: LIke many journalists, Chesterton wrote too much too fast and only the most committed fans have read much more than the major works (the Father Brown stories, Thursday). Some of his nonfiction is as wonderful as his fiction: Heretics, the books about Dickens, Aquinas and the Victorian AGe in LIterature. I'm very fond of GKC because of his marvelously paradoxical style:E.g., If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.

Bainbridge, GA: Speaking of Third World writers as per the earlier question on Indian writers: Has the Nobel Committee been taken over by the politically correct crowd or something, I mean what with the spate of literature prizes going to the likes of Rigoberta Menchu -or was that a Peace Prize?- who is currently being discredited in a new book debunking the claims in her book.

No matter, my question is: Do you think the late Robertson Davies of Canada deserved the Prize for Literature and was gypped out of it with the recent bent on Nobel Lit awards to Third World writers?

Michael Dirda: Yes, I think Davies should have been more widely honored. He ought to have won the Booker for What's Bred in the Bone. But he was a conservative man, with a mystical bent, and I suspect was not the sort of writer the Nobel wants to honor. On the other hand, he was CAnada's greatest writer, and one of the most readable in the world. His last book, The Cunning man, showed no diminution in his talents, and was in fact one of his best book, after the mixed success of The Lyre of Orpheus.

Mclean VA: What do you suggest for your sons to read over the summer? -Or what do they suggest that you read?

Michael Dirda: No suggestions from them, at least as far as books are concerned. When the occasion arises, I will sometimes describe a favorite novel and hope that my enthusiasm will encourage one of them to give it a try. This worked with Alfred BEster's The Stars My Destination, for instance. But in general I simply make sure there are lots of books around that they might find interesting. If they read anything, I'm happy.

Bainbridge, GA: You spend time "mourning your lost youth"?? Well, who doesn't? So have you got any good books to recommend togo with this mordant sentiment?

Michael Dirda: I like gloomy philosophers like Schopenhauer and world aphorists like La Rochefoucauld, Emerson and Chamfort. My favorite French aphorism is anonymous: In love there is always one who kisses and one who offers the cheek.

Washington, DC: Regarding the Gen-Xer, as another 30-something with a similar interest, I don't know that you'll find out that much about us by teaching in college. The kids entering college today have very little in common with our experiences. It's the difference between growing up with gas lines, the "national malaise", the threat of nuclear annihilation, vs. the prosperity and seemingly endless possibility of the post-cold war years.

I know, you couldn't care less, but I thought I should point it out.

Michael Dirda: Well, somehow of the kids I'll be teaching are in their 20s and 30s, so we'll see.

Reston, VA: Hi Michael

For the past year or so I have had a horrendous time trying to stay awake while reading! -In fact, just reading this screen has me wishing I could sneak a few winks under this desk.- Seriously, do you have any suggestions as to how I can break this habit? I try not to read in bed, but sometimes it's the only place i can some peace and quiet. Where is your favorite place to read?

Thanks

Michael Dirda: I have the same problem--I start on my book at 10 PM and 10 minutes find myself dozing off. I don't have an adequate answer for you: I move from chair to desk to table to bed to bath, hoping that variety will keep me awake. Of course, a really exciting book will do the trick too. For a while, I used to get up at 5 and read in the morning when I was fresh. My favorite place to read is the beach at Cassis, in Provence, but I would also have to be 19 years old.

Springfield, Illinois: I'm a fan of Eiji Yoshikawa but having read everything I can find by him, I'm looking for other authors writing about fuedal Japan. I've read Tale of the Heike, Genji, Laura Joh Rowland, and other modern Japanese writers, most of whom are a bit too lyrical and-or existentialist for my taste. So, do you have suggestions along the lines of Yoshikawa who would provide a good read with a sense of cultural realism?

Michael Dirda: Have you looked in Donald Keene's multi-volume history of Japanese literature? I'm sure you'll find authoritative guidance there. If you loved GEnji--the correct critical response--you should look for Ivan Morris's wonderful book about Heian Japan, The World of the SHining Prince. He also translated Sei Shonagon's marvelous Pillow Book.

Wash, DC: Everyone refers to this city as being very literate. I don't know if I agree but what do you think is the most literate or book savvy town you've been in?

Michael Dirda: Hard to say: I went to Oberlin College and everyone there was passionate about books and learning. In general, I think the French are the most idea-oriented and book-impassioned people around.

Wash, DC: You read and love quite a variety of books. Can you recommend your favorite half dozen SF novels of the last five years -so I can broaden my reading a bit-? Thank you

Michael Dirda: In truth, I've read little sf during the past few years--my interests shifted too mysteries about then. But among books of the 1970s and after, I'd suggest the sf and fantasy work of Gene Wolfe, William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, Terry Pratchett, Elizabeth Hand, Paul Di Filippo, Karen Joy Fowler, Connie Willis and Jonathan Lethem.

Lanham, MD: I just finished reading VIkram Seth's An Equal Music, and enjoyed it immensely. I am a pianist by trade and study, and I was wondering if this book meant as much to you -a non-musician to my knowledge- as it did to me... i.e. if this book lost anything in its meaning with a non-musician reading it.

Michael Dirda: Did you see my review? I thought it wonderfully teary, but too sentimental to admire unconditionally. I thought the music stuff was first-rate. And I did take accordion lessons for five years. Ok, and I do listen to a lot of classical music. Gould, Michelangeli and Argerich are my favorite pianists.

Bainbridge, GA: Uhh, could you translate that that "offering the cheek" aphorism into English for the rest of us??

Michael Dirda: Huh--I didn't think it unclear. It's about the constant and unavoidable inequality in love. One person kisses, the other presents his or her cheek for the kiss.

Timberville VA: Knowing you enjoy Thomas Berger, have you read any of Harry Crews and if so what is your opinion?

Michael Dirda: Only read A CHildhood and a bunch of essays. Plan to read one or two of his books this fall in Florida, probably Car and A Feast of Snakes. What I've read, I've liked.

Philadelphia, PA: What do you think of Jose Saramago's work? I have read only one of his books, "The History of the Siege of Lisbon," and loved it. While I usually don't care for oddball grammatical tricks, I actually enjoyed his approach to dialog. His omission of quotation marks, and much other expected punctuation, from the dialog seemed to make the conversations more intimate, even if I had to reread certain pasages to be sure who was saying what. More importantly, I enjoyed the author's meditations on writing and history. -- RJ

Michael Dirda: Haven't read him either. One can read a lot, but no one can read everything. Alas.

Burke, VA: Can you recommend a book -or books!- that meets the following criteria: 1-strong plot line -no housewives dithering about the sorry state of their lives-2-interesting, complex characters that the author develops painlessly and 3- a real ending, where the fabulous plot is brought to a plausible conclusion -not the recent trend in fiction where it almost appears that the author just got tired and quit writing-.

Michael Dirda: Hmm. You might want to try some classic fiction--Pride and Prejudice,for instance, or Anna Karenina, or Balzac's Lost Illusions, or Gissing's New Grub Street or Ellison's Invisible Man or Hemingway, Fitzgerald, etc. AMong recent writers, try James Salter, Cormac McCarthy, Steven Millhauser, Eudora Welty.

Wash, DC: Speaking of mysteries, what do you think about current authors "finishing" unfinished works by masters? I've recently read "Thrones, Dominions" a "new" Peter Wimsey, and can't think of the one by Robert Parker and was it Chandler?

Michael Dirda: Yes, Chandler. In general, I think such books are a waste of everyone's time.

Bethany, OK: What would you list as your top 5 books of all time?
Fiction
Non-Fiction

Michael Dirda: Impossible to answer such a question. When I applied to college though I chose: Walden, Heart of Darkness, Atlas Shrugged, Zorba the Greek and How To Stop Worrying and Start LIving as the five books that had most influenced my life up that point.

Washington, DC: THANK YOU for keeping to the question in responding to Bainbridge, GA, and not getting into the racist-PC-etc debate he-she was trying to start!
Of course Davies should be more appreciated....
Thx

Michael Dirda: Ok, I didn't know she was trying to get into a debate. Maybe we can continue all this next week--till then. Keep Reading!