Over the past few weeks, I’ve been immersed in the alt-lit canon—a protean literary movement stretching from the earliest experiments in digital publishing to today’s downtown New York scene, where literature, performance, and social spectacle merge with exhilarating unpredictability.
How do you read these, do you really buy them all physically or as e-books? I reckon someone should make a system for new writers where you can digitally rent new books or something like that for 5 bucks or whatever.
I bought them all except Silly Boy, which I read most of during several nauseating visits to McNally Jackson. It’s genuinely impressive how bereft the book is of literary merit, all while being so smugly proud of its own witlessness.
Alright, I always read physical copies myself but hesitate when buying new books. It would be hard to keep up with all the new fiction by just buying it all. Glad for folks like you who sort the good from the bad, although that makes me at mercy to critics. Guess it’s always kinda been that way.
After spending an unhealthy amount of money on physical books I caved and got an e-reader & have been able to find 90% of books for free through my public library! Definitely not as nice of an experience but what can you do
You told me that you’re about to embark on a literary review of romanticism in modern lit, right? This book embodies every single tendency your academic work stands against—so, obviously, you have to read it!
Thanks for the leads re new alt writers...I will check them all out soon...my prodcedure is simple...find on Amazon..read first two pages of sample...if the voice seems at least competent and sometimes even COMPELLING...bingo
It’s obviously unfair to compare what is essentially a long 4chan post to serious works. But the book has been getting attention (entirely thanks to his viral shitposting marketing campaign), so I figured I might as well check it out to see if it was as bad as everyone says it is. On that front, it did not disappoint.
How do you read these, do you really buy them all physically or as e-books? I reckon someone should make a system for new writers where you can digitally rent new books or something like that for 5 bucks or whatever.
I bought them all except Silly Boy, which I read most of during several nauseating visits to McNally Jackson. It’s genuinely impressive how bereft the book is of literary merit, all while being so smugly proud of its own witlessness.
Alright, I always read physical copies myself but hesitate when buying new books. It would be hard to keep up with all the new fiction by just buying it all. Glad for folks like you who sort the good from the bad, although that makes me at mercy to critics. Guess it’s always kinda been that way.
that’s a brilliant idea…
After spending an unhealthy amount of money on physical books I caved and got an e-reader & have been able to find 90% of books for free through my public library! Definitely not as nice of an experience but what can you do
Honestly I think that’s the way to go if you can do it
I can’t read ebooks. Always physical copies
Someone told me that Silly Boy is an attempt to reimagine that McConaughey character from Dazed and Confused as a 2024 poetaster? Is that accurate?
lol yes, that’s about right
You should assign it alongside Dazed and Confused to your students
I just might.
You told me that you’re about to embark on a literary review of romanticism in modern lit, right? This book embodies every single tendency your academic work stands against—so, obviously, you have to read it!
Based
Thanks for the leads re new alt writers...I will check them all out soon...my prodcedure is simple...find on Amazon..read first two pages of sample...if the voice seems at least competent and sometimes even COMPELLING...bingo
Appreciate these recommendations as well as the clarity while examining burgeoning scenes in all of their inevitable shortcomings.
Must add these books to my list!! Thank you for this <3
Don’t skip Earth Angel!
dude all of these are available at the chicago library with no wait, — going to be eating good over the holidays this year.
also, forever mag rocks
Brilliant. 🩷
Great piece!
Thank you!!!
Thanks for this! New authors to read 🖤
What do think of Heavy Traffic magazine and Apocalypse Party press?
Thank you for reading!
Heavy Traffic is cool but I’m not a regular reader. I don’t know Apocalypse Party press
It's a fun indie press. Very dark at times. I'm loving Gary J. Shipley, B. R. Yeager, and Charlene Elsby.
Amphetamine Sulphate press is great too, indie lit rules!
I will check out!
There's nothing but white people in the photo of this new Alt-Lit Canon, so I know this canon doesn't mean shit.
Lolll
You're even funnier
🫶🏼
You’ve given Vack’s book quite the advertisement
It’s obviously unfair to compare what is essentially a long 4chan post to serious works. But the book has been getting attention (entirely thanks to his viral shitposting marketing campaign), so I figured I might as well check it out to see if it was as bad as everyone says it is. On that front, it did not disappoint.
If I can only read one of these, which should it be?
Earth Angel
It’s a collection of shorts. I read it quickly in one sitting the first time around, but now I’ve been reading it again, slowly savoring it
Tao Lin is alt-lit? So alt-lit means boring?
https://marlowe1.substack.com/p/short-stories-about-nazis-and-frankenstein
We have a Canon? Oh no. I don't want to be on that.
https://marlowe1.substack.com/p/short-stories-about-nazis-and-frankenstein