simultan

I study comparative literature in California. I am pretty well convinced that no one will ever write another great novel, at least not until he or she has thoroughly considered other generic possibilities and other media and chosen the novel over them. Sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it? Right. Much easier to write criticism and teach. Also, I am a big hit at parties. [. . .] I will say a bit more about the book collection, however, because even I think it's almost heterogeneous enough to be random. Some of the books were assigned for courses; some were recommended reading for a thesis; some I haven't read yet, although most are on the list because I did read them. History books go down easy and hold my interest unfailingly, and may be the most likely thing for me to take on the train. I want to know everything and become wise, but I'm very skeptical about how information is delivered. I am biased toward other skeptics and people who are obviously, trackably eccentric, and above all toward people who write engagingly. (If you want an example, I give you Friedrich Nietzsche.) [. . .] I am both serious and impatient. That's a bad combination.