William T. Vollmann Part 1

[writer123123456456]

I met Vollman in San Francisco in a bar when I was living there. He came up to me in the crowded dark and starting telling about 19 century native peoples in northern Canada or something. I remember thinking, who is this guy? and about how peculiar and cerebral and lonerish he was... he didn't seem to know any one in the bar but he just sort of came up to me and started to tell me all of this researched-sounding esoteria and then he was gone. I met other writers but he most oddball & compelling

[zapisywacz]

Vollmann - exquisite vocabulary, great research, great travels, literature for connoisseurs. When you're totally jaded, try Vollmann. And I'm writing from Eastern Europe. He's the kind of writer who could write 500 interesting pages about a tree leaf.

But the clip about Vollmann has been watched by 2000 people. Meanwhile a clip about Bukowski by 50.000 people. Rihanna's Umbrella by 2 million people.

[offbdway]

..couldn't agree with you more. After finishing Europe Central, I haven't been able to get enough of the man, and have found it increasingly difficult to read other authors.

[twentyarms]

because humanity as a thinking, cultured species (If we have ever earned the title) is rapidly disappearing.

[fiddlerfart]

Europe Central is by far the least likable of his works - all work and no glory

[nineiron10]

The man is a genius. That said, he refuses to be edited (which speaks to the quality of his talent -- think of it: who gets aways with publishing nearly 20 books with no edits. Insane!!!). The said, it can require plowing through *some* dull stuff to get to the gems, but the gems are achingly beautiful. Your life will be richer with him in it.

[cfotoole]

I don't mean to denigrate Vollmann's talent, but it's my understanding that he forfeits a large proportion of his books' royalties in order to get the kind of leeway he gets from his editors. A publisher isn't going to give an author free reign based solely on originality or literary merit. They've got to be guaranteed of clearing whatever margin of profit they need. What's extraordinary is that the tradeoff is worth it to Vollmann. Admirable is an understatement.

[writer123123456456]

I like his compassion for the dispossessd and for the untouchables in society, the diseased prostitutes and the unrepentant junkies and crackheads, the true lost. He is poet laureate of the unwanted...

[smotheredhope]

William T Vollmann is the greatest writer of the 20th century. period

[BillMcGee666]

Agreed. He makes the over-hyped Foster Wallace look like an ant. Vollmann is in the same class as Faulker, Hemmingway, and a lot of post-WWII European writers.

The Cloud-Shirt will be out in a few months if all goes well.

[egginajar]

He's the best photographer I have ever seen.

[evolunacy1]

Thank you for posting this!