Honored to be grouped here, thank you! Also, am I remembering correctly that Bellow fans (or was it just Bellow himself?) have an issue with the Atlas biography? How are you liking it?
According to the intro at least, Bellow cooperated with the biography quite a lot, handing over lots of his private correspondence and telling people it was ok to talk to Atlas. I’m liking it, but I hardly ever read biographies so I’m not the best judge. So far I agree with the criticism Atlas presents about his early books, but I can see how they might rub some fans the wrong way.
The long LRB review I mentioned earlier has the juicy dish about the Atlas bio and its attendant controversies -- it was a relationship that slowly soured, it seems. Also thanks for the shoutout and I do of course endorse the other LRB in turn. Hope you're digging Ulysses!
OK—and now that I think of it, I’m pretty sure Martin Amis was one of the louder voices against the bio. But he’s also a Bellow disciple. Have you read “Inside Story,” where he talks about his friendship with Bellow, and visiting Bellow in his later-stage Alzheimers? It’s grueling stuff.
Honored to be grouped here, thank you! Also, am I remembering correctly that Bellow fans (or was it just Bellow himself?) have an issue with the Atlas biography? How are you liking it?
According to the intro at least, Bellow cooperated with the biography quite a lot, handing over lots of his private correspondence and telling people it was ok to talk to Atlas. I’m liking it, but I hardly ever read biographies so I’m not the best judge. So far I agree with the criticism Atlas presents about his early books, but I can see how they might rub some fans the wrong way.
The long LRB review I mentioned earlier has the juicy dish about the Atlas bio and its attendant controversies -- it was a relationship that slowly soured, it seems. Also thanks for the shoutout and I do of course endorse the other LRB in turn. Hope you're digging Ulysses!
OK—and now that I think of it, I’m pretty sure Martin Amis was one of the louder voices against the bio. But he’s also a Bellow disciple. Have you read “Inside Story,” where he talks about his friendship with Bellow, and visiting Bellow in his later-stage Alzheimers? It’s grueling stuff.
I have not, oof sounds intense. I haven’t read anything by Amis actually
"Great Books, science fiction, and Jewish literature" sums up all of my favorite things!
Omg I also used to be a fan of Andrew Yang and got disillusioned with him. This is so uncanny.
We’re on the same wavelength 📡