Archived DMs

For the past week I’ve been moving Cecil over to a new server. The work is pretty much done and we’re in that interesting limbo where there are actually two different Cecil site’s out there and the web is in the process of sorting out which one to go to. I’m told it can take … Read more

Until two days ago I was 70 pages behind, but a pair of flights got me (finally) caught back up. If you’re one of the many good folks stuck a bit back on the trail, let me just tell ya, all you need is a stop over in Houston (real or metaphorical) and you’ll be … Read more

A few years ago, my daughter took part in what started out as an entirely unremarkable dance recital. She and maybe eight other 6-year-olds were bopping around on stage along with some familiar holiday tune. “Let It Snow”? “Jingle Bells”? Midway through, the CD starts to skip. And it’s awful. One of those 15 second … Read more

The trail is thick, I say thick! with boots. Great to have such a rich collection of folks to share the journey with. And nice to feel like we’re starting to make some real forward progress. I’ve been thinking a lot this week about the way that Pynchon plays us. He’s got a great feel … Read more

And just like that, we’re at the end of Part I…. Lots to like in this last stretch: The dual identities of Blinky Morgan. The Aetherists and their Asylum. That oily Zombini (“I don’t suppose you’d have a spare electrical coil around?” (68) — how could Merle not see trouble brewing?). “Skip” the ball of … Read more

If I knew Tesla was coming, I might very well have baked a cake. Because, well, you know how much Tesla loves to eat cake. Lots of fun this week — excellent comments from an international crew of ‘marchers, plus a promising start to the novel with all sorts of rich plot threads. It sounds … Read more

Welcome to The Against the Day Deathmarch — a mass-tackle of Pynchon’s latest tome. This is our fifth deathmarch, and I haven’t been this excited about an onine mass read of a challenging book since, well, since we tackled Gravity’s Rainbow back in January, 2005. I’ve read the first few pages of AtD, and I … Read more

Got my book this week. I’m all excited, and who can blame me? I’m fighting the urge to dive in. I have read the quote that opens the book, and I have read the first line, and I can report that they are both excellent. The second sentence will have to wait till next Tuesday. … Read more

Back in January aught 5 a hardy band of pioneer types set forth on what some say was the very first blog-based literary deathmarch — the so-called “Gravity’s Rainbow Deathmarch,” in which a crew of modern day Lewis and Clark types banded together and managed, over five months, to read an extremely difficult book. Two … Read more

Congrats to the many who’ve made it through or are on the verge of crossing the finish line! (oh math, from hell’s heart, we stab at thee. For hate’s sake, we spit our last breath at thee.) If you haven’t already shouted out, or you have last thoughts to share that you were holding back … Read more