Thank You, Mr. H

I’ve been reading Giornale Nuovo for a while now. It’s a good weblog, mostly concerned with art, illustration and rare books. Recently, Mr. H, the man behind the Giornale, announced a Free Book Giveaway, so I sent off a quick email requesting Why I Have Not Written Any of My Books, an autobiographical tract on the dificulty of writing by a prominent Oulipan. Those who know my reading habits will realise that this book might just as well be called Why I Have Not Written Any of My Books With Jack Mottram In Mind.

In any case, the book arrived while I was away carousing on the Wirral, and this act of generosity has spurred me to follow Mr. H’s lead and give away a few books myself. Please choose one of the following three titles, and send me an email with your postal address. I will then post you the book of your choice or, if someone has beaten you to the punch, let you know which are still available.

Simon Silber: Works for Solo Piano by Christopher Miller. This is the life of the titular composer, an eccentric, told in the form of liner notes by his equally eccentric biographer. Part satire on contemporary classical music, part homage to Nabokov’s Pale Fire, all good. [This one’s gone]

The Minatour Takes a Cigarette Break by Steven Sherril. This is the story of M, as the mythological half-man half-bull now calls himself, making the best of life as a line cook in modern-day America. Sherril is good on detail, whether he’s recording the pleasure to be found in mundane tasks, or having the Minotaur muse on the problems immortality can bring. [This one’s gone]

Hazlitt: Selected Writings, edited by Jon Cook. Hazlitt is, for my money, the greatest of English prose writers, and he wrote on everything from politics to poetry, drama to death. I’ve had a copy of this for three years, and it’s never left the pile on my bedside table. You need this book.

Posted at 4pm on 05/06/03 by Jack Mottram to the art and culture, site news category.
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