i've met a lot of people with the same response to eggers/mcsweeneys, but i'm curious... how do you figure that they're getting by on mere cleverness? or, for that matter, that *any* of them are smirking backstage?

i've met eggers on two occasions now... the second time, the turnout was rather small, and i actually got to chat with him for a few minutes. if there's on impression i get from eggers, it's that he's absolutely sincere about everything he's doing.

i think... we're at at time in all artistic mediums where everyone is convinced no one will ever do anything new, and that we will have no legends. and i think eggers (and the mcsweeneys crew) have sort of taken that sentiment and almost played on it, turning it around as a big "fuck you" to the critics.

Let me see if I can explain... I'll be the first to admit that Eggers book is far from classic... it has tons of flaws. But his approach is authentic - I read an interview, I think it was poets & writers, and he said that when he set out to write the book, one of his main goals was to "defy linearity"... i remember this phrase very clearly... he wanted the narrative to come "squeaking" out of unexpected places...

Ultimately, he had to sacrifice... he saw that it wouldn't work entirely, he had to give in. But he didn't give in all the way.

I'm rambling... see... I think the great thing about eggers and his crew is this... they're making "serious" art (whatever that means) without taking themselves too seriously. That same interview found Eggers talking about calculative writing versus intuitive writing, and he ultimately said they were more often than not the same thing.

And I think that's the key to eggers and folk... the majority of stuff they've written, or a lot of it, it's tongue in cheek, almost silly at times, but it's that way for a reason... and it has yet to water down the quality.

I didn't enjoy much of the McSweeneys crew until I saw a few of them read with Eggers... when you get your hands around the personalities of this circle, the rest of the literature suddenly falls into place. Ultimately, they're saying, "we don't want to be legends... we just want to fucking write."

And in that respect, I think they *have* and *will* become legends.

-thebigfunk
On The Box:
Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale
DJ Shadow - Endtroducing
DJ Shadow - Private Press
Meshell - Cookie
Fela Kuti - Upside Down

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~