Status Updates From Verbatim: A Novel

A darkly comic novel that immediately makes me think of Gaddis? I feel like I’m going to like this, I just hope it’s not too “Canadian”….

This book arrived at the library for me on inter-library-loan the day before it shut for COVID-19, and waited patiently for me until this past Wednesday when the library opened for street pick-ups and drop-offs only. It was a pretty weird interaction to pick it up. But I was excited to get it.

By leave
Does the honorable member (WD Clarke) have leave?
NO LEAVE!

Tension is building over reform of the Hansard style, but we're beginning the home stretch. Will the style change, will all the problems be ironed out before the end of the novel?
(I laughed out loud at two parliamentary insults on one page.)

Merry Christmas from Canada! Thanks to all the pages for bringing water, and to all the little people who help the legislative process, clerks and the seargeant at arms, who had a rough session, rougher than perhaps necessary. Much important legislation was passed and we look forward to the New Year!

Scouring the Hansard for mention of Red Rose Tea, something that could uplift the economy. Not a word. Pity. (Hats off to WD Clarke)

"...something of an oligarchical temper..."

Why would I give a shit what is said in a provincial Canadian parliament? Why do I keep picking up the book and reading it? Theory: universal attraction to dipshittery. Just as I today stopped editing a paper on Japanese fans when it told me that ceremonial fans are used in ceremonies, disgusted, but also marvelling at my species, Bursey's dipshits are compelling as they spout nonsense.

editing improvemnts are being made, but the bread machine had been removed. The parliament is not a bakery.

Citizens, calm yourselves. Our hon. member, not, you know, the slang, the hon., member from the Canadia region is currently considering incipient plans to, deliver, based on the factors and considerations of the factors, to deliver, and will not stop until the end, nor end before he has stopped.

Provincial parliament in Canada. Satire. Satire? I'm not so sure--the politicians are recognizably daft and petty. The citizens are in a condition of want. Economic downturn. Division by party lines.
Why is this compelling reading?
"...The member from Mt. Pleasant can go back to his oxygen tent now, his iron lung, whatever."

"Clean breasts all."

a spic and span parliament is a healthy parliament

We find that the presence of the Financial Officer within the offices concerned has a negative effect.

prorogued

But I have the reprint by Verbivortextiexawphagous Press of Singapore and pints north, so the pagination is off and I can't seem to figure out how to get that edition up here. Normally this would not matter but this novel is an official document or series of documents, and I know it's nonsense to be concerned about such matters, but in 10,000 years documents will be all they have to go on, so if someone can help me..

Really enjoying this.

< i > I don't like to Hansardize...

From: Clerk of the House
To: Hansard Editor

Re: American spelling
Do you think your editors could agree on whether using the American spelling is best practice when members exercise their creativity in turning nouns into verbs? Please advise

audacter calumniare, semper aliquid haeret
The unofficial parliamentary motto?
("Slander boldly-something always sticks!")

[...The legislature] was like one of those modern plays where nobody does anything, but there’s always this anticipation about something that never happens but is imminent.

Will the Minister of Justice act on these matters and state today that the justice system will be corrected at once so that everyone is better protected by the police, and in some cases from the police and their brutal ways with people who are non-white?

Plus ca change...