God's Big Giveaway!

[tomsdisch]

And what's the best gift you could get from One Who is Himself a Big Idea? What else but a Big Idea of your own? So here are two of them to take up and run with--as I did with one of them once

Comments

My Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech

[mythusmage]

Thanks for queering my career. From now on the only place my work is going to be found is in some cheap ass overpriced edition shoved down the throat of freshman lit majors around the world. Did you people even read my crap? Thanks loads.

Guess I'll have to go write porn to redeem myself.

[substitute]

The only one I remember is Faulkner's, and it's a classic of alcoholism. Who knows what other treasures we'd bring to light?

The danger. . .

[tomsdisch]

is self-importance. I doubt any such speech has ever been notable for a light touch. But that is a challenge you could rise to.

[crowleycrow]

There has to be some word in English that would describe why most writers (except for mad ones) would turn you down. I can't even find words to describe the components -- a shyness felt by (maybe even especially by) the ones who do feel they deserve it but aren't, and aren't likely, to get it; the bad luck, even curse, possibly associated with stepping up prematurely to the mike; the avoidance of pomposity that clings to the act no matter how ironic or self-effacing or funny you make yourself sound (because you're talking, at bottom, about the thing you care for more than anything, or almost anything, in your life, no matter how joshing you are being). Hoo. On the other hand, I mioght be able to come up with few apothegms -- a thought or two on Human Nature, a la Faulkner -- the convolutions that Borges or Nabokov might have delivered if THEY'd won... we'll see. Oh -- wait -- I haven't been asked! No no -- I misunderstood -- my bad -- no just go on without me, I'll be fine...

[anonymous]

What is the attraction for the same prize which Doris Lessing won?

R.I.P.

[anonymous]

Thanks for everything T.