Category: Uncategorized

I hesitate to direct attention to these two videos, given how horribly self-conscious seeing footage of myself makes me, but in the interest of blatant self-promotion I have heroically managed to overcome my hesitation.A note: the videos say Pop Apocalypse is available now, but it’s not of course. It’s coming out in late April/early May. … Continue reading Self-Conscious Self-Promotion

The Olive, the Harper Perennial blog, has published a list of New Year’s resolution-type answers by Harper authors.  You can read my profound views on 2008 — and predictions for what is to read more Continue reading Olive NY Questions

There’s not much news to report on Pop Apocalypse, but I thought I’d write a brief post here reflecting on my Thanksgiving. read more Continue reading post-Thanksgiving

I received 25 galleys of Pop Apocalypse today at my department mailbox.  The packaging of the books looks fantastic–great cover art, nice design, and so on.  Now, I have to find 25 people read more Continue reading Big box of galleys

One of the coolest moments of freshman authorhood is when you first see <a href=”http://www.amazon.com/Pop-Apocalypse-Possible-Satire-P-S/dp/0061715379/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=122375866 read more Continue reading On Amazon

I’ll probably become a negligent blogger over the next ten-twelve weeks. I’ve just started teaching a course for Stanford’s Program in Writing and Rhetoric (PWR) called “Wipe That Smirk off Your Face: The Politics and Rhetoric of Irony.”  Not to mention that I’m on the academic job market.  Or that I’m occasionally even making a … Continue reading Negligence to Come

I’ve been mulling over the reported suicide of David Foster Wallace.  The news hit me harder than I would have thought possible.  His writing has always been hugely important to me, and Infinite Jest is central to the whole conception of my dissertation.  I only began to think of irony as something that had a … Continue reading DFW, RIP

I have not forgotten you, my dedicated hardcore base of Redroom-profile readers.  Let me update you on where we are with Pop Apocalypse. read more Continue reading Update on Pop Apocalypse

I received two mockup covers for Pop Apocalypse earlier today.  Neither is perfect, and neither quite matches my original vision of how I wanted the cover to look, but it’s tremendously exciting to see these proposals, and both covers have potential.  I’m going to work with my editor to revise these drafts.  When we settle … Continue reading Pop Apocalypse Covers

I finished Salvador Plascencia’s fascinating first novel, The People of Paper, last night and have been carrying it around in my head all day. It is almost too much of a cliche to say, but this is a very very McSweeney’s novel:  typographically innovative, vaguely and sometimes not-so-vaguely magical realist, ironic yet also filled with … Continue reading Post-Postmodern Paper People