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/lit/ - Literature

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6282516 No.6282516 [Reply] [Original]

Having dinner with him tomorrow night.

Any questions you have I'll be happy to pass on.

No shitposting.

>> No.6282531

Ask him if the fact that his name contains two philosophical concepts (I know it's William, not Will, but whatever) interests/influenced him in any way.

I dunno, I suck at interviews.

>> No.6282532

>>6282516
"What was it like realizing you're going bald? I bet it's like when you realized you had no talent."

>> No.6282540

>>6282532
With a face like his, going bald is hardly something to worry about.

>> No.6282547

>>6282516
How does he balance the heroin use and writing? Whenever I'm back on dope I spend all my time doing jackshit and never manage to write or read.

But if not, what does he think of the necessity of the author to society?

>> No.6282566

>>6282532

Either your joking, in which case you tragically thought that line was funny, or you're being serious, in which case you're socially dysfunctional.

Pick one.

>> No.6282585

>>6282547

I don't think Will has relapsed for some years now. I can ask him how he was affected by it in the past though.

Ask for the second question - can do.

>> No.6282605

no one cares, go away

>> No.6282617

>>6282605

>I don't care about this thing
>Therefore no one can care about this thing

Nice, bud.

>> No.6282622

>>6282516
Proof or GTFO.

>> No.6282625

>>6282566
Go to bed, Will.

>> No.6282635

>>6282622

Okay. Just to make it easier, I'll change the question.

Were you to speak to someone who is meeting Will Self tomorrow night for dinner, would there be any questions you would want to have asked on your behalf?

Can't be bothered with proof. Believe it or don't, I couldn't care less.

>> No.6282637

>>6282516
Ask him which English-language writers he thinks are continuing the modernist legacy

and what we can learn from Gabriel Josipovici

>> No.6282642

>>6282516

Ask Will what he thinks of the anti-modernists like Amis Sr. and Larkin.

>> No.6282648

Ask him what contemporary writers he admires and, for a bonus round, what recent book he wished he'd have written.

Obviously "contemporary" is relevant to your own choosing.

>> No.6282650

>>6282637

Finally, some sensible questions.

Can do.

>> No.6282691

I like Will Self. I'd like - particularly given the environment - to get his opinion on Infinite Jest.

>> No.6282696

he really named A book THE BUTT. dropped. not trying to be edgy but I have so many books to read and he's dropped.

>> No.6282701

>>6282696
No you don't.

>> No.6282713

>>6282650
Also ask him what non-English language contemporary writers he likes

>> No.6282719

>>6282696
It's called The Butt: An Exit Strategy. If that's not a title that makes you want to read a book, then I don't know what would be

>> No.6282724

>>6282691
I'll summarize his answer in advance for you: No discernible talent.

>> No.6282997

>>6282516
Why the long face?

>> No.6283183
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6283183

Ask him to contrast John Dickson Carr with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

>> No.6283778

>>6282997
Zzzziiiiiiiiiing!!!

>> No.6284560

>>6282719
The cover, obv, if not the unending arguments by autists on the internet.

>> No.6284564

>>6282516
What were the Addams Family really like?

>> No.6284567

Not kidding, ask him if fellow New Statesman writer Laurie Penny reads his columns in spite of him being a straight white male.

>> No.6284582

>>6282516
Ask him about Nick Land

both are british, with sci-fi sensibilities
should be interesting to hear his response

>> No.6284811

>>6282691
x2

>> No.6284831

>>6282719
Any title that isn't that. I'd more likely read Triceratops Butt Attack than that.

>> No.6284876

Ask him why he feels entitled to comment on contemporary politics and current affiars even though he got a third in PPE and seemingly has no idea what he's talking about.

>> No.6284889

How about:
"Where do you get your ideas from?"
or "Do you tend to make a detailed plan for each of your novels or just get started and let them develop?"

>> No.6285520

Ask him what it's like to take it up the ass from Peter Hitchens

>> No.6285638

>>6285520
I'll bet he barely felt a thing.

>> No.6285960
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6285960

ask him if before he kisses, hugs or fucks his wife he verbally asks for consent. Ask him if hes done so with any other sexual or romantic partners.

>> No.6285966

Ask him why he won't respond to my emails.

>> No.6285975
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6285975

tell him that he reminds me of my teacher in school. does he know a Joseph Martin? (they might have gone to oxford together)

>> No.6285987

Can you get him to put up a reading list for someone who's "new" to reading.

>> No.6286050

In case this is still being read, I once saw an article of his where he talked about the loss of systematic erudition as a precondition for being a writer. Like people used to be full of memorised poetry and quotes and now they just google. Ask him about any current novels which he thinks reflect that trend.

>> No.6286070

not a question but just keep mentioning how he sends his kid to private school, should make him rage.