Tao Lin

So, as many of you probably haven't recently noticed, since I don't post very often or have Facebook (both of these things really detract from my readership), I haven't posted anything in quite a while.  I think this is partially due to the fact that, historically, my blog has fulfilled some sort of purpose.  Historically, it's been a travel blog, then a means to document living with my grandmother.  Now, it doesn't serve much of a purpose but I would like to keep it going.

This morning, I was researching Tao Lin, a 20-something author who just published his third novel and is en route to Portland (among other places) as part of his book tour.  In this process, I realized that the predominant theme in my life right know is working on writing short fiction and reading anything I can get my hands on.  I decided, for now, my blog can be used to summarize what I'm working on (reading or writing-wise) and my general thoughts on that topic.

Back to Tao Lin.  Initially, I got really excited about the idea of an easily digested author who teaches short story classes to MFA students and who openly talks about drug use and growing up with exposure to multiple cultures.  But the more I learn about him, the more I grew concerned that he is merely in the right place at the right time, taking advantage of our solipsistic internet culture, spending his time documenting any thought that occurs to him (usually while he's tripping on all kinds of drugs), now spreading outside of the literary world into filmmaking.

I still haven't read any of the longer pieces he's written, but stay tuned.  I feel like this could be the beginning of a longer phase for me (if not a Lin-based phase, someone similar), especially after reading so many classics this year.

I could really use something fresh and unserious.

And we both like Jean Rhys.