Chixulub
New Member
I must not have been paying attention, because Amy Hempel mentions him in her Paris Review interview from back in 2003, which is where I first encountered her.
Then he got interviewed in #172, and I got curious. Still waiting on 'Geronimo Rex' to come in, started with 'Ray,' because I found a copy sooner. I don't know about his other stuff, but this definitely comes off almost as if Amy Hempel were raised in the South and wrote at somewhat greater length. Well, 'Ray' may be almost as long as the 'Tumble Home' novella, but the approach is very similar.
I don't know how much of this is the Gordon Lish influence. Hempel studied with Lish for several years and Hannah refers to him in the 'Paris Review' interview as the 'genius editor.' But other students of Lish, such as Mark Richard and Tom Spanbauer don't seem to take quite the same approach. Richard's stories are edgy with 'burnt-tongue' but I generally understand the plot on the first read, which isn't always true with Hempel. I have to really take my time with Hempel, and even then, 'Weekend' is a different story no matter how many times I go back to it. And Spanbauer, I've only read 'The Man Who Fell in Love With the Moon' but it's a full-blown epic, a totally different sort of thing.
So anyone else read Hannah? Any sharp insights into 'Ray?' Anyone?
Then he got interviewed in #172, and I got curious. Still waiting on 'Geronimo Rex' to come in, started with 'Ray,' because I found a copy sooner. I don't know about his other stuff, but this definitely comes off almost as if Amy Hempel were raised in the South and wrote at somewhat greater length. Well, 'Ray' may be almost as long as the 'Tumble Home' novella, but the approach is very similar.
I don't know how much of this is the Gordon Lish influence. Hempel studied with Lish for several years and Hannah refers to him in the 'Paris Review' interview as the 'genius editor.' But other students of Lish, such as Mark Richard and Tom Spanbauer don't seem to take quite the same approach. Richard's stories are edgy with 'burnt-tongue' but I generally understand the plot on the first read, which isn't always true with Hempel. I have to really take my time with Hempel, and even then, 'Weekend' is a different story no matter how many times I go back to it. And Spanbauer, I've only read 'The Man Who Fell in Love With the Moon' but it's a full-blown epic, a totally different sort of thing.
So anyone else read Hannah? Any sharp insights into 'Ray?' Anyone?
