Buckley (Heart) Elvis?

July 16, 2001 7:50 AM

Buckley (Heart) Elvis? No, it's not a liberal v. conservative thing. Writing an Elvis book just does not fit the William F. Buckley image. Ontime spy novelist. Erudite PBS show host. Shows up in places like House Beautiful, waxing witty about homes and home decor, with references to the Metropolitan Opera and such. I too love the Big E, but this is baffling and hilarious. He apparently discusses his E fixation in the upcoming (and usually outstanding) Southern Music Issue of the Oxford American. Thoughts? Is the new American literary dream to retire and write an Elvis book, as opposed to the Great American Novel?
posted by raysmj (22 comments total)

It is a novel:

"Buckley ... concocts a charmingly sympathetic tale tracing the fictional relationship between a young boy and the King."
posted by o2b at 8:02 AM on July 16, 2001

"the persona, as developed by Elvis, and may i add the roots to his...inspiration seem grounded in folklore that comes from a fall out, if you will, of American political...."

good luck with fiction buck.
posted by clavdivs at 8:40 AM on July 16, 2001

[aside]Oxford American is a great magazine, and I would highly recommend it. Recently though, they had to cut back from bi-monthly publication to quarterly publication. So, if this sort of thing interests you, please subscribe as I really don't want to think of life without this magazine. [/aside]
posted by trox at 8:46 AM on July 16, 2001

good luck with fiction buck.

It's not like he's new at this. I believe this is his 10th novel.
posted by ljromanoff at 8:49 AM on July 16, 2001

trox: That was cool. The mention was a blatant plug on my part. No financial interest here or anything . . . But, there was a chance to mention the mag in the midst of posting about something else.
posted by raysmj at 8:59 AM on July 16, 2001

"I believe this is his 10th novel." like i said: good luck with (his using the medium again) fiction.
posted by clavdivs at 9:13 AM on July 16, 2001

"I believe this is his 10th novel." like i said: good luck with (his using the medium again) fiction.

Sorry, I read that as sarcasm. Sometimes translating you is a challenge, clavdivs.
posted by ljromanoff at 9:19 AM on July 16, 2001

You guys rock. Oxford American is one of the best regionals out there. Forget that the publisher is lame-o John Grisham (and try to ignore that editorial where he said that people should be able to sue artists for acts of violence that are inspired by their work)

And their Music issue is their best issue year after year. I've got every issue except the first one.

And you gotta love their slogan: The Southern Magazine of Good Writing.

Simple, understated, with just enough braggadocio to be funny, not annoying.
posted by ColdChef at 9:28 AM on July 16, 2001

"Sometimes translating you is a challenge" yes, the skit is getting rather...stale. Headline: MeFi challenges lazy thinking.
posted by clavdivs at 9:32 AM on July 16, 2001

"Sometimes translating you is a challenge" yes, the skit is getting rather...stale. Headline: MeFi challenges lazy thinking.

An onslaught of semi-lucid posting is not exactly challenging, but you're welcome to your own opinion.
posted by ljromanoff at 10:01 AM on July 16, 2001

sorry, i went to the impluvium...whoa lj. Like your 'internationale' comment(from a different thread) left me dumb-founded. "An onslaught of semi-lucid posting is not exactly challenging" oh, your being sardonic. No, you where lying in wait... "good luck with fiction buck." I did say this as evidenced by your raising a point. Your point, Bucky aint new to fiction. You would not have said that if you thought I knew Bucky wrote fiction. Because if you thought I knew this, the fact of bucks' fiction would have not been raised in the first place.(of course that stems from my assumption). Hence, no real reason to mention said fact. You were specific:"It's not like he's(buck) new(im new, very new)((smerk)) at this". Then you state some redundant fact about this being his tenth book.(redundant because it does not ALLUDE) So, your stating that " semi-lucid posting" is not a challenge. I am easily refuting every word you said in context. I may not be as articulate as the rest of these fine people but I can accept certain proclivities and poetic license.(cant see mine kiddo, your not cleared that high) So MeFi HELPS cure lazy thinking by the example of a self-admitted lazy thinker who puts your words back in your (lap), and by attempting to disprove you, take a hint from what you said," translating you is a challenge". Shit big daddy, I agree. I hope the latter will help you with your thinking.
posted by clavdivs at 11:34 AM on July 16, 2001

i did not mean(oh hell you know i did) ((breath of air)) im sorry for being snitty. actually websavvy said something in a similar vain. It ruined the card trick didnt it. well its time for me think in context, i yeild that. The fool is the ultimate hand for survival in any context of place. savvy? remember whom hamlet was longing for, skull in hand. Hamlet took a lesson from that little 'talk' and set forth...."hes no hamlet", "what?", "im the freakin fool" add nausea, i love humor, it saves lifes, and you people could cure freakin cancer. even you lj. i saw your sight and think you have much to say. You dont need a coxcomb. some of us do. jez, i need a drink. "us" ah,sorry dong, but im going for the bigbowl, and give tesla that coil back.
posted by clavdivs at 12:25 PM on July 16, 2001

steee-rike one.
posted by clavdivs at 12:26 PM on July 16, 2001

I may not be as articulate as the rest of these fine people but I can accept certain proclivities and poetic license.

That's readily apparent. And while it might be poetic, I question the value of posts that bned or break grammatical rules and structure to the point where your potential reader is left to question what exactly you are trying to say. Being obscure is not a de facto sign of brilliance.
posted by ljromanoff at 12:27 PM on July 16, 2001

That was meant to be "bend" not "bned." Typo.
posted by ljromanoff at 12:28 PM on July 16, 2001

I'm sorry I started this thread. I really am. But I thought clavdivs's initial post was amusing, just for the record.
posted by raysmj at 12:46 PM on July 16, 2001

strike one was against me. i agree, this is not the correct forum(pardon the pun) for "all-kneejerk-all the time" so ill stop.(crowd goes frikin wild)
posted by clavdivs at 12:58 PM on July 16, 2001

raysmj. i think the thread is wonderful, sorry for the rant.(shows him a buick that was hurled in vicinity says:"thats a keeper"((shit, more funnystuff, better go before a train comes along.))
posted by clavdivs at 1:17 PM on July 16, 2001

Well, this thread went straight to hell pretty quickly. . .
posted by ColdChef at 2:35 PM on July 16, 2001

I liked bned more.

Don't tak lj seriously, clavdivs, I have trouble decoding him as well.
posted by lagado at 7:40 PM on July 16, 2001

I liked bned more.

Yeah, it would have been clever if I had done it on purpose, but I'm not going to take credit for something I didn't intend.
posted by ljromanoff at 6:42 AM on July 17, 2001

then you do as the rest and let little nit-picky shit fly. domo lagado.
posted by clavdivs at 9:47 AM on July 17, 2001