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Guilty Pleasures
His first book of non-fiction which consists of parodies, political satire, and fables.
165 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1974
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About the author
Donald Barthelme
158 books765 followers
Unspeakable Practices, Unnatural Acts
(1968) apparently collects sometimes surrealistic stories of modern life of American writer Donald Barthelme.
A student at the University of Pennsylvania bore Donald Barthelme. Two years later, in 1933, the family moved to Texas, where father of Barthelme served as a professor of architecture at the University of Houston, where Barthelme later majored in journalism.
In 1951, this still student composed his first articles for the Houston Post. The Army drafted Barthelme, who arrived in Korea on 27 July 1953, the very day, when parties signed the ceasefire, ending the war. He served briefly as the editor of a newspaper of Army before returning to the United States and his job at the Houston Post. Once back, he continued his studies of philosophy at the University of Houston. He continued to take classes until 1957 but never received a degree. He spent much of his free time in “black” jazz clubs of Houston and listened to musical innovators, such as Lionel Hampton and Peck Kelly; this experience influenced him later.
Barthelme, a rebellious son, struggled in his relationship with his demanding father. In later years, they tremendously argued about the kinds of literature that interested Barthelme. His avant-garde father in art and aesthetics in many ways approved not the postmodern and deconstruction schools. The Dead Father and The King , the novels, delineate attitude of Barthelme toward his father as King Arthur and Lancelot, the characters, picture him. From the Roman Catholicism of his especially devout mother, Barthelme independently moved away, but this separation as the distance with his father troubled Barthelme. He ably agreed to strictures of his seemingly much closer mother.
Barthelme went to teach for brief periods at Boston University and at University at Buffalo, and he at the college of the City of New York served as distinguished visiting professor from 1974-1975. He married four times. Helen Barthelme, his second wife, later entitled a biography Donald Barthelme: The Genesis of a Cool Sound , published in 2001. With Birgit Barthelme, his third wife and a Dane, he fathered Anne Barthelme, his first child, a daughter. He married Marion Barthelme near the end and fathered Kate Barthelme, his second daughter. Marion and Donald wed until his death from throat cancer. People respect fiction of Frederick Barthelme and Steven Barthelme, brothers of Donald Barthelme and also teachers at The University of Southern Mississippi.
A student at the University of Pennsylvania bore Donald Barthelme. Two years later, in 1933, the family moved to Texas, where father of Barthelme served as a professor of architecture at the University of Houston, where Barthelme later majored in journalism.
In 1951, this still student composed his first articles for the Houston Post. The Army drafted Barthelme, who arrived in Korea on 27 July 1953, the very day, when parties signed the ceasefire, ending the war. He served briefly as the editor of a newspaper of Army before returning to the United States and his job at the Houston Post. Once back, he continued his studies of philosophy at the University of Houston. He continued to take classes until 1957 but never received a degree. He spent much of his free time in “black” jazz clubs of Houston and listened to musical innovators, such as Lionel Hampton and Peck Kelly; this experience influenced him later.
Barthelme, a rebellious son, struggled in his relationship with his demanding father. In later years, they tremendously argued about the kinds of literature that interested Barthelme. His avant-garde father in art and aesthetics in many ways approved not the postmodern and deconstruction schools. The Dead Father and The King , the novels, delineate attitude of Barthelme toward his father as King Arthur and Lancelot, the characters, picture him. From the Roman Catholicism of his especially devout mother, Barthelme independently moved away, but this separation as the distance with his father troubled Barthelme. He ably agreed to strictures of his seemingly much closer mother.
Barthelme went to teach for brief periods at Boston University and at University at Buffalo, and he at the college of the City of New York served as distinguished visiting professor from 1974-1975. He married four times. Helen Barthelme, his second wife, later entitled a biography Donald Barthelme: The Genesis of a Cool Sound , published in 2001. With Birgit Barthelme, his third wife and a Dane, he fathered Anne Barthelme, his first child, a daughter. He married Marion Barthelme near the end and fathered Kate Barthelme, his second daughter. Marion and Donald wed until his death from throat cancer. People respect fiction of Frederick Barthelme and Steven Barthelme, brothers of Donald Barthelme and also teachers at The University of Southern Mississippi.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 22, 2020
Ticket for a Gallery Exhibition - cherished prize in the art world
Collection of postmodern short stories from the 1960s and 1970s penned by that master of the genre, American author Donald Barthelme. Some short non-fiction satire is also included. Of course, I enjoyed a number of pieces more than others but one short zapper really hit home for me, most likely since I have been interested in art and aesthetics for a number of years. Reading Letters To The Editor I imagine myself sitting in a whaling boat watching lampoon-harpooner Daggoo-Barthelme hurling lampoon-harpoons at the whales of the art world. Ready, aim, let her soar, Daggoo-Donald! Here is a list of needle-sharp zingers from the hand on our intrepid harpooning author:
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The Controversy: Nicolai Pont, editor of Shock Art magazine admits a raw, tender nerve has been hit when his international art journal published an article on an exhibit by American artist Doug LeDuff featuring an original series of asterisks. Editor Pont announces Stock Art will accept only one more letter on the controversy before the subject is closed forever. Shock Art - love that name for the magazine and the mindset of the people who run it, being shocked when an article they print about art actually shocks.
Art Theft: Bernardo Brown of Galerie Z accuses LaDuff of shamelessly copying the asterisks of Gianbello Bruno, a fellow Italian, an artist his Galerie Z represents. Bernardo points to a 1978 Paris exposition where artist Bruno incorporated a series of asterisks into his work. Sure, the American claims he has been painting asterisks since 1975 but, Bernando Brown asks: Where are these asterisks? Where is the proof? One of my favorite Barthelme lampoons here is the name of the American Artist Doug LeDuff. Doug is a common enough American name, but what about that LeDuff? Sounds like the artist or his agent committed some genuine art theft to conquer the European art market, combining the names of two famous, influential French artists – Le Corbusier and Jean Dubuffet.
Gallery Opening - Where art and party time come together
A Proud Heritage: Galerie Z is in Milan and Bernardo plays his trump card, since, after all, he is from the land that graced us with the Italian Renaissance and all those great Italian masters, the greatest artists the world has ever seen. “Of course the fully American attitude of the partisans of LeDuff, that there is nothing except America, is evident here in the apparently fair evaluation of the protagonists which is in fact deeply biased in the direction of their native land.” Bernardo curtly dismisses the evidence LeDuff painted six pointed asterisks as opposed to the five pointed ones of Bruno; he also dismisses the fact that LeDuff predated Bruno in superimposing one asterisk on another. Bruno’s tacit accusation: Americans are untalented, moneygrubbing bunglers, coarse hicks incapable of the barest shred of artistic originality, forever crudely copying and mimicking refined, highly accomplished European artists. (Of course, Bruno might be correct on this point, at least generally, but there is always that rare exception!)
Rome Chimes In: Pino Vitt smiles at the entire LeDufff-Galerie Z controversy asking: What do these bloody Americans really want after they come to Europe, are installed in the most sumptuous hotels yet still find reasons to complain about everything? Those childish, no talent Yanks made rich by our stupid bourgeois fly back home to figure out more ways to dupe and despoil our gullible bourgeois. “Doug LeDuff is a pig and a child, but so are his enemies.” What is so great about this letter is Pino adds nothing to the subject at hand but rather takes the opportunity to slam the whole art scene – artist, supporters, detractors; if you are out there as part of the art scene, you’re fodder for Pino’s slam. Maybe Pino Vitt is still smarting from the humiliating loss Rome suffered at the hands of Milan in the latest soccer match. Or, perhaps, he envisions himself as a great Roman general put in the position of being required to put down the barbarians on Rome’s borders. Or, perhaps Pino is an unrecognized artist producing paintings or sculptures or installations unacceptable to the art world.
Düsseldorf Chimes In: Hugo Timme points out to the faculty of the LeDuff-Galerie Z debate that LeDuff’s art is so much bad wallpaper but Shock Art Magazine was irresponsible accepting for publication a Galerie Z ad defaming LeDuff. Hugo goes on to enlighten all by proclaiming that LeDuff and Bruno have both impersonated the accomplishments of the 1938 Magdeburg Handwerker. Ah, a German historian to the rescue. And love his referring to those contributors to the debate as “faculty” then skewering their ideas.
Artists Chime In: The members of an artist’s group in Basel, Switzerland let it be known they are unfaltering supporters of the immense American master, Doug LeDuff. This is an international crowd with first names of Gianni, Michel, Zin and Erik. And it isn’t an accident they are in Basel, the cradle of modern avant-garde art going back to the early years of the twentieth century. And, of course, having their names listed one under another, manifesto-like, adds weight to their support.
Photo of a group of artists - could be 1966 or 2016. Some things never change.
Rotteerdam Chimes In: Madga Baum is outraged that the galleries, critics and collectors bickering in this LeBuff debate have ignored the artist Elaine Grasso, who has been working in the field of parentheses. Oh, those damn men and the male dominated art world overlooking a real artist just because she’s a woman!
Athens Chimes in: G. Philios lets everyone know their debate is complexly misguided since the asterisk is from the Greek asteriskos (or small star) and has served a very specific function going all the way back to Greek mythology. G. Philios ends by making a specific plea to the editors to publish his letter so people will know he set the record straight.
An Art Critic Chimes In: Yes, Shock Art Magazine consulted Titus Toselli Dolla in Palermo, a highly respected art critic, to contribute a letter on the subject. As part of his letter, Titus denounces LeDuff, “The brutality of the American rape of the world’s exhibition spaces and organs of art-information has distanciated his senses.” Love Titus and his slicing comment about Americans immediately following his claim of maintaining a critical distance from all passions surrounding the debate. And true to form, Titus peppers his writing with words like “distanciated.” Very much in keeping with art criticism – vocabulary as a weapon to keep the uninitiated outsider out.
June 12, 2016
Truly a bizarre and eclectic collection of Barthelme's nonfiction. Parodies, satires, odds, and ends... Highly experimental to varying degrees of success and humor. We're talking about fake letters to the editor, essays based off of found/created imagery, imagined news stories, etc. In an article about "the angry young man", he posits such theoretical questions as: "Is fresh ever-renewed soaring searing good-quality anger possible?" He skewers Carlos Castaneda with a story called "The Teachings of Don B: A Yankee Way of Knowledge". And retells the fake news story of Playboy bunnies fired for losing their "bunny image". Hmm... looks like I enjoyed this more than I realized (just talked myself into bumping my rating up from 3 stars to 4).
Barthelme is always imaginative, experimental, witty, and comical, but for those new to his writing, I'd recommend starting with one of his short story collections first.
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WORDS I LEARNED FROM THIS BOOK:
hebetude | megillah | obloquy
Barthelme is always imaginative, experimental, witty, and comical, but for those new to his writing, I'd recommend starting with one of his short story collections first.
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WORDS I LEARNED FROM THIS BOOK:
hebetude | megillah | obloquy
May 17, 2012
A hit or miss collection of miscellany.
Don B. comes clean in the intro. "The first third [of the book] are parodies. One always apologizes for writing parodies; it is a disreputable activity, ranking only a little higher on the scale of literary activity than plagiarism. A minimum demand is that what is parodied be widely successful—a tulip craze of some sort. This gives the parodist the luxury of being able to feel that he is doing useful work."
The problem with that is one decade's tulip craze doesn't always interest the next, and though there were only a few political parodies, they haven't aged well. I did enjoy that "L'Lapse" was included, Barthelme's first New Yorker piece and a parody of L'Aventura, which was funny whether or not you're an Antonioni buff.
One of my favorite pieces was "Helitrope," which reads as an ultra liberal university course catalogue. "Let's Hear It For the Ed Sullivan Show!" was a shot-for-shot transcript of the show, if the transcriptor was drunk. Another good one was "The Photographs," in which two scientists argued over the first photos taken of the human soul (dutifully printed in the book).
I'm looking forward to reading The Dead Father next.
Don B. comes clean in the intro. "The first third [of the book] are parodies. One always apologizes for writing parodies; it is a disreputable activity, ranking only a little higher on the scale of literary activity than plagiarism. A minimum demand is that what is parodied be widely successful—a tulip craze of some sort. This gives the parodist the luxury of being able to feel that he is doing useful work."
The problem with that is one decade's tulip craze doesn't always interest the next, and though there were only a few political parodies, they haven't aged well. I did enjoy that "L'Lapse" was included, Barthelme's first New Yorker piece and a parody of L'Aventura, which was funny whether or not you're an Antonioni buff.
One of my favorite pieces was "Helitrope," which reads as an ultra liberal university course catalogue. "Let's Hear It For the Ed Sullivan Show!" was a shot-for-shot transcript of the show, if the transcriptor was drunk. Another good one was "The Photographs," in which two scientists argued over the first photos taken of the human soul (dutifully printed in the book).
I'm looking forward to reading The Dead Father next.
August 3, 2014
Hit or miss, but with some excellent illustrations. Makes for some very light reading, and it's most likely a good introduction to Barthelme (I'll either confirm or deny this statement once I read more of his work, but I have a hunch...). I particularly liked the story about the two scientists who come across a photo of souls ascending into heaven -- it was hilarious.
June 22, 2008
Like I said in other reviews of Barthelme... great! Just read the books, all of them!
August 16, 2024
uhh yea all my barthelme ratings should be 5 what the heck
October 13, 2016
3.5, really. This (loosely) "non-fiction" is less forgiving than Barthelme's straight-stories. Interestingly enough, I noticed a lot more here that could be seen as a genesis of DFW's style than I did in those. The other side of that coin is that this is also pretty scathing stuff, and I wouldn't be surprised if Barthelme had a hand in convincing Dave of the limits of postmodern irony, by providing examples of how exhausting and unhelpful postmodern irony can be.
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August 6, 2010the cartoons are a riot.
September 29, 2022
Adore this.
November 21, 2010
I've always liked this one more than I probably should.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews