Tosh Berman on "Affinities: On Art and Fascination" by Brian Dillon (NYRB, 2023)

 

Tosh on "Affinities: On Art and Fascination" by Brian Dillon

"Suppose A Sentence" by Brian Dillon (NYRB)

 

ISBN: 978-1-68137-524-3

It is always a pleasure to dwell in the words and world of Brian Dillon. "Suppose a Sentence" is a collection of literary essays, where the foundation is the sentence. Twenty-eight essays plus introduction focus at first a specific sentence by an author but then using that as a projection into that writer's style, structure, and sensibility. In many ways, this collection is a very straight forward literary inquiry into the author's work. It's not really about the sentence itself, or structure of writing, but how the beauty and form of writing take place in a reader's or critic's mind. 

Most of the authors/writers are well known here: Roland Barthes, Anne Carson, Thomas De Quincey (an author that comes up a lot in this book), Charlotte Brontë, George Elliot, Beckett, Virginia Woolf, and others. Pretty much the Western Literature world, but with some new figures such as the Korean-American Theresa Hak Kyung Cha and Jazz critic Whitney Balliett. I don't know the names like those two, but I want to read their works due to Dillon's take on their work. 

I love literature, and I too think of sentences that make me go-go almost the same manner as listening to exciting music. Dillon captures these moments in these brief but thoughtful series of essays. 

"I Am Sitting in a Room" by Brian Dillon

This morning I was researching writers for future projects, and a fellow writer recommended this writer.    I tracked down this book in the D.A.P. catalog and I was immediately turned on by the idea of this book. I bought the book at Book Soup this afternoon (around 3PM west coast time), and read it on the bus heading towards home. Brian Dillon, an editor for the great journal "Cabnet" has started a project where a writer sits (or stands up) and writes a book within 24 hours i.e. one day.

The first title of this new series is Dillon's "I Am Sitting in a Room."  The author worked in his office at Cabinet Books and from December 10th, 10 A.M to December 11th, 10 A.M wrote and finished this book.

Brian Dillon at his temporary desk at Cabinet writing this book

And I have to say its a really good book.  The big part of the book is about writers and their writing spaces.  I don't know if readers are interested in this subject matter, but for sure writers are. In fact space, time, and place are important for an writer, as well as his/hers writing equipment, desk, and whatever books are on that writing table as well.  

So there is structure set in place and part of the charm of this book is to see what he ate or drank within the 24 hour period as well as a list of his favorite writing spots/places.  The one thing I find odd is that he doesn't seem to be listening to music while writing.   Maybe on his computer?  But he doesn't mention it. 

Nevertheless this is a perfectly charming book and a meditation on the importance of location, but also he treats writing as a fetish, and its quite a seductive world between the writer and the reader.  

Tosh Berman while writing this particular blog on Brian Dillon