[squirting water during Lao New Year in Pakse, 4/14/23] When you can speak in decades, death is yawning widely, revealing plenty of broken or missing teeth. Yesterday, I had some tough beef that reminded me of this fact. Three decades ago, I read at least three Thomas Bernhard novels within a short span. He combines the cantankerous melancholy of Celine with the comic paralysis of Kafka, I thought, so in his world, just about nothing was possible, including writing, for the conditions, external and internal, were always wrong. Yet, he wrote about it.
I’m stuck on the underwear enigma. I can’t imagine girls who don’t want to wear any. Especially as American girls have to have some Brand on their butts or they can’t function in society. I’m imagining the daily inspection before Datta Banana Leaf opens. “Clean hands?”
totally! i'm going to read it again. whenever i think of kerry i think of him throwing someone elses' war medals over the fence at an antiwar protest at the whitehouse. would like to know which novelists linh reads now. cheers.
"A key engineer of the mass slaughter of Slavs in Ukraine is Victoria Nuland. Her paternal grandfather was Meyer Nudelman of Odessa, Ukraine."
Poi$oned judaic Maidan cookies the last evil treat of the staggering Golem now playing out in rump Ukraine.
Same as it ever waZ
Is it good for the juice?
Dear Linh,
as always thank you for your raZor sharp incision into the bloated, gangrenoUS cadaver of a dead empire. You are geographically as far from the toxic train wreck as possible, probably and yet you smell the burning vinyl, spit out the ethanol spiked water, burn the wonderbread toast as though you haven't escaped your own particular Slumville, USSA nightmare. Is pox amerikana and this great flUSh down the global cloaca maxima to be survived? Can humanity escape the Great Amerikan Psycho reset?
Thank you for another piece Linh. Would you happen to have any recommended reading for someone wanting to get into some good fiction? I read anything I can get my hands on, but would love to further expand my horizons with that kind of thing.
This list should keep you busy for a while. For American short stories, read Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio, all of Hemingway, Flannery O'Connor, Breece D'J Pancake and Paul Bowles, Denis Johnson's Jesus' Son, David Foster Wallace's Brief Interviews with Hideous Men and Annie Proulx' Close Range.
For international short fiction, read all of Kafka as published by Schocken, all of Borges as published by New Directions, Kawabata's Palm of the Hand Stories and Ingo Schulze's 33 Moments of Happiness.
If we're talking about reading, I have you to thank for a number of excellent reading recommendations that I perhaps never would have otherwise discovered. I discovered Bowles on my own, but I'm pretty sure I read Sherwood Anderson, Flannery O'Connor, and especially Breece D'J Pancake after you mentioned them. I enjoyed them all.
Also, an author I enjoyed in the international short fiction category was Stefan Zweig.
I was born in 1969, and believe it was in the '90s that I first heard of the Melungeon. In my E. Kentucky hometown there is a family with the last name "Malugin". A friend had a theory that it was originally "Mulligan", but after so many generations who can say?
About underwear, it depends what it's made of. Cotton is fine, but it is said anything with polyester and such affects fertility. There are studies. But about that check-up... Oh well, never mind.
A lot of American fast food comes from Germany (among other countries that formed the American "melting pot") but they can't even get that right. Their hot dogs are a bad version of the traditional German rostbratwurst mit brotchen, and let's not talk about beer. People complain about a transvestite making commercials for Bud Lite, but who else would drink that watered-down crap?
About bread, it's a Southern European thing. For good bread, you have to go to Southern Europe. France, Spain, Italy. Germany has some good wholemeal black bread for fibre nuts, but that's it. For real good fresh, crusty bread, go South, young man.
It is interesting that you mentioned the Melungeons. 50 years ago, I had a good college friend who proudly claimed to be one. Don't hear the group mentioned much, anymore.
I’m stuck on the underwear enigma. I can’t imagine girls who don’t want to wear any. Especially as American girls have to have some Brand on their butts or they can’t function in society. I’m imagining the daily inspection before Datta Banana Leaf opens. “Clean hands?”
“Check!”
“Hair tied back?”
“Check!”
“Ah, er…Sound off if you are wearing underwear!”
(Giggles)
It’s always a great morning when there’s a new post from Linh Dinh.
Thanks Linh, great piece!
So dense I had to pause and ponder several times. This is concentrated wit juice.
totally! i'm going to read it again. whenever i think of kerry i think of him throwing someone elses' war medals over the fence at an antiwar protest at the whitehouse. would like to know which novelists linh reads now. cheers.
"A key engineer of the mass slaughter of Slavs in Ukraine is Victoria Nuland. Her paternal grandfather was Meyer Nudelman of Odessa, Ukraine."
Poi$oned judaic Maidan cookies the last evil treat of the staggering Golem now playing out in rump Ukraine.
Same as it ever waZ
Is it good for the juice?
Dear Linh,
as always thank you for your raZor sharp incision into the bloated, gangrenoUS cadaver of a dead empire. You are geographically as far from the toxic train wreck as possible, probably and yet you smell the burning vinyl, spit out the ethanol spiked water, burn the wonderbread toast as though you haven't escaped your own particular Slumville, USSA nightmare. Is pox amerikana and this great flUSh down the global cloaca maxima to be survived? Can humanity escape the Great Amerikan Psycho reset?
Wishing you good health and fortune always.
it is Sunday in Cascais, (Portugal reading) this wonderful article makes my day
Thank you for another piece Linh. Would you happen to have any recommended reading for someone wanting to get into some good fiction? I read anything I can get my hands on, but would love to further expand my horizons with that kind of thing.
Hi keBOBster,
This list should keep you busy for a while. For American short stories, read Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio, all of Hemingway, Flannery O'Connor, Breece D'J Pancake and Paul Bowles, Denis Johnson's Jesus' Son, David Foster Wallace's Brief Interviews with Hideous Men and Annie Proulx' Close Range.
For international short fiction, read all of Kafka as published by Schocken, all of Borges as published by New Directions, Kawabata's Palm of the Hand Stories and Ingo Schulze's 33 Moments of Happiness.
Linh
I have an essential reading for dealing with woke ridiculousness:
"The Good Soldier Sveik".
A "howto" book of effective methods for leaving the woke grinding their teeth!
A great method that comes through is "taking everything as literal, not acknowledging the colloquial meanings>
Example: (when being ad hominemed an "anti-Semite')
"What? I have nothing against Arabs!"
"Where were you born? Montreal? Your not a Semite!. But definitely, you are a hypocrite and a fraud."
I read this years ago, and it is still part of my library--great read!
Hi Linh,
If we're talking about reading, I have you to thank for a number of excellent reading recommendations that I perhaps never would have otherwise discovered. I discovered Bowles on my own, but I'm pretty sure I read Sherwood Anderson, Flannery O'Connor, and especially Breece D'J Pancake after you mentioned them. I enjoyed them all.
Also, an author I enjoyed in the international short fiction category was Stefan Zweig.
Wonderful. Thank you and best of luck on your travels.
I have started reading novels and memoirs of China. If that thing interests you then check out:
Qiu Xiaolong. He is a Chinese American poet who has a series set in China. I lived in Wuxi and his book Don't Cry Tai Lake captures it
Kong Ergou's Triads & Turbulence. Series of books that track the changes in Chinese culture from the 80s onwards via stories of gangsters.
Golden Boy, memoir of living in Hong Kong in 1952
Man Who Loved China by Simon Winchester. This one will make you rethink Europe being the leader of science breakthroughs and inventions
Much appreciated
Much healthier to go without underwear, in my opinion! Another wonderful essay from my favorite substack writer!
When I was a child, I used to sprinkle wonder bread with sugar and cinnamon and roll it like a pastry!
Thanks for all your guileless, fearless writing.
I must say that it is a balm to the woke idiocy and seemingly perpetual narcissism in my little "Western" dystopia.
I was born in 1969, and believe it was in the '90s that I first heard of the Melungeon. In my E. Kentucky hometown there is a family with the last name "Malugin". A friend had a theory that it was originally "Mulligan", but after so many generations who can say?
Another group I never knew about were the "Bluets".
I read a historical book on the Horseback Librarians of Kentucky.
best read today and the week before
Another great read Linh. Was pleased to read you finally found a great baguette. Have a great day.
America should send some of its magic dirt to Laos so that Vietnamese can be fully Laotians too.
About underwear, it depends what it's made of. Cotton is fine, but it is said anything with polyester and such affects fertility. There are studies. But about that check-up... Oh well, never mind.
A lot of American fast food comes from Germany (among other countries that formed the American "melting pot") but they can't even get that right. Their hot dogs are a bad version of the traditional German rostbratwurst mit brotchen, and let's not talk about beer. People complain about a transvestite making commercials for Bud Lite, but who else would drink that watered-down crap?
About bread, it's a Southern European thing. For good bread, you have to go to Southern Europe. France, Spain, Italy. Germany has some good wholemeal black bread for fibre nuts, but that's it. For real good fresh, crusty bread, go South, young man.
It is interesting that you mentioned the Melungeons. 50 years ago, I had a good college friend who proudly claimed to be one. Don't hear the group mentioned much, anymore.
Great one, bro!