What actually constitutes the cool kids table? Selling enough books to make a living at it is probably a cutoff. That will always be a tiny minority. If that’s the aspiration then most people will be disappointed. Also, most people don’t understand that pulling that off is like becoming a capital partner at a major law firm or investment bank, or the head of surgery at a major hospital. To aspire to a career like, for example, Sally Rooney, requires relentless focus, making the right contacts, perpetual self promotion, and knowing how the game is played, all on top of hard work and talent to start out with. Most people can’t do that.
For the young ones out there, NYRB was once the bees knees. A friendly voice from home while living abroad. Gore Vidal in every issue. The ever exotic Ian Buruma, until getting caught up in Cancelationmania. Those were the days my friend, I thought they’d never end…
Thank you for this piece and for the video, it turns out I REALLY needed some of Tao Lin's anti-charisma charisma tonight. As you point out, it's pretty hilarious to watch Gould narrowly suppress the urge to scream CAN YOU ACT LIKE YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL WRITER ON A SHOW THAT IS BEING WATCHED BY AN AUDIENCE. Even his salad apparently destroyed the purpose of the show's premise and was branded "anti-social."
That 10 minutes read to me as one of those moments when it gradually dons on someone that their approach to reality might be common and well-respected but is not actually universal, and if you're engaged with someone who refuses to approach things that way, you're just gonna have to go with it.
Love this. I've been getting into the idea of the "historical internet" lately - the way things were represented in the early 2000s - 2010s. Both in how interfaces were constructed, the look of film, and the content. This interview of Tao Lin is great! So honest and real. I love how he doesn't match her energy or the expectations of being on the show. Much more interesting.
I enjoyed this! Unfair to Chabon, though, who maintains a Substack and will actually reply to people. But true for everyone else named.
Was going to say this about Chabon.
I’ve been liking your stuff a lot lately! Have noticed you’ve been using shorter paragraphs too. It worked well in this piece.
What actually constitutes the cool kids table? Selling enough books to make a living at it is probably a cutoff. That will always be a tiny minority. If that’s the aspiration then most people will be disappointed. Also, most people don’t understand that pulling that off is like becoming a capital partner at a major law firm or investment bank, or the head of surgery at a major hospital. To aspire to a career like, for example, Sally Rooney, requires relentless focus, making the right contacts, perpetual self promotion, and knowing how the game is played, all on top of hard work and talent to start out with. Most people can’t do that.
So what do the rest of us in the 99% do?
Write anyway!
The captions on these photographs are a work of art.
I still read Lowell, Schwartz, and Berryman. Also Rich and Jarrell.
But I take your point.
For the young ones out there, NYRB was once the bees knees. A friendly voice from home while living abroad. Gore Vidal in every issue. The ever exotic Ian Buruma, until getting caught up in Cancelationmania. Those were the days my friend, I thought they’d never end…
Thank you for this piece and for the video, it turns out I REALLY needed some of Tao Lin's anti-charisma charisma tonight. As you point out, it's pretty hilarious to watch Gould narrowly suppress the urge to scream CAN YOU ACT LIKE YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL WRITER ON A SHOW THAT IS BEING WATCHED BY AN AUDIENCE. Even his salad apparently destroyed the purpose of the show's premise and was branded "anti-social."
That 10 minutes read to me as one of those moments when it gradually dons on someone that their approach to reality might be common and well-respected but is not actually universal, and if you're engaged with someone who refuses to approach things that way, you're just gonna have to go with it.
That video is pretty funny. Thanks. Enjoyed this one.
Love this. I've been getting into the idea of the "historical internet" lately - the way things were represented in the early 2000s - 2010s. Both in how interfaces were constructed, the look of film, and the content. This interview of Tao Lin is great! So honest and real. I love how he doesn't match her energy or the expectations of being on the show. Much more interesting.