Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Who's Your Literary Crush?

I regularly contribute snippets of conversations I have with various people during the day.

Here's one:

Person: 'So, who's your literary crush?'
I: 'Beg your pardon?'
Person: 'Which author is your, you know, favorite? Dante, right?'
I: Well, Dante's gravitas doesn't allow him to be just a crush. You know Canto 3 of the Inferno, right? We're past that point, he and I. A crush would be the South African novelist, J. M. Coetze.'
Person: 'Why's that?'
I: 'He economizes on speech.'

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ha. Literary crush. Yeah, I wouldn't qualify Dante as a crush. Guy's too substantial for that!
JM Coetze I don't know but will get to know him now. thx.

Anonymous said...

Good one.
My crush: Chabon!

Anonymous said...

Where was the conversation had and might I ask what the answer was to your last line?

Anonymous said...

my crush would be shakespeare. still. i think we're getting serious, though :)

B.R. said...

Oh, it was at a dinner. Right before I started masticating the food. And I stand by the Dante statement. Fully.

Sra said...

I suppose mine would have to be Shakespeare too... it feels so cliche (hanging head in shame).

B.R. said...

After years of steady and constant flirtations with Shakespeare he remains a crush for me too.
No shame in it whatsoever.

Anonymous said...

Umberto Eco