olson-maximus-0

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Off-shore, by islands hidden in the blood
                                        jewels & miracles, I, Maximus
                                        a metal hot from boiling water, tell you
                                        what is a lance, who obeys the figures of
                                        the present dance

Thought:

“I would rather read genre fiction than what they call “Quality Lit.” Which is mostly what Knopf publishes, for example. I don’t want to use the word “elitist,” but it’s very narrow-minded — the kind of literary writing you find celebrated in the prizes, the Pulitzers, even the National Book Critics Circle, of which I used to be on the Board, and fought against. It’s recognized Literature with a capital L. So that’s another kind of thing that holds the genres apart: there’s this kind of thing that you’re supposed to write that I just don’t see any reason for writing.“

Ronald Sukenick