Published in the September, 2007, issue of Esquire (actor Sean Penn on the cover). Available for free on the magazine’s Web site.
The Esquire publication of this piece involved some experiments that I still consider worthy and not mere gimmicks. Worked into the layout of the story itself (both in print and online) are first-person sidebars by secondary characters in the story. I wrote that material for this purpose–some of it from whole cloth, some of it adapted from my own outtakes. (And there were plenty of those. The manuscript was nearly 80 pages at one point. It was submitted at the ridiculous length of 39 pages and then cut–almost entirely by me, with fiction editor Tom Chiarella’s gracious deference–to 28 manuscript pages for publication.)
The first-person sidebars were interesting to do (the story is in the third-person), but even more fun (potentially) are the deadpan references to the story published in other sections of the issue. A book allegedly written by the main character, Gerhard Hookerdicker, was given a brief review. The character Vernon DeCloud had a letter to the editor. The Leisure Meter section suggested pre-ordering a DeCloud invention that figures in the story. There may have been a couple of others. Some of these extra items were accompanied by Web URLs that redirected to the story on the magazine’s site. (The items on Hookerdicker’s book and DeCloud’s invention made it to the online version.)
All of the production innovations were (I believe) entirely associate editor Tyler Cabot’s ideas, in response to editor-in-chief David Granger’s directive to “do something different” with the piece. (I was offered the chance to invent this differential myself, but had no great inspirations.) Tyler’s notion of breaking down the magazine-membrane around the story was brilliant, I thought, but Granger’s imperative had come fairly late in the process and there just wasn’t time to implement the idea to the degree it deserved.
Nonetheless, we all gave it a good bit of extra effort. Then the story came out and no one among the reading public–to my knowledge, not a single soul–noticed the Easter eggs scattered around the issue. Would it have been different had there been fifteen or twenty rather than only four or five? Maybe. Who knows. But everybody at Esquire threw themselves into trying to do something new, which gets a gold star in my book.
Comments 2
Hello Ralph-
Well, I read that story in ESQUIRE when it came out with great delight, not only because it was such a great story but because I was sure that it’s publication presaged the publication of a brand new book of stories by one of my favorite disappeared authors from the golden age of American Fiction- you know, before 9/11 forced seriousness on us all and corporate downsizing did away with editors helping to shape (shorten overlong) books.
I did notice the easter eggs and found them quite amusing. Not essential, but kind of diverting and a good reminder about the story, as if I needed reminding that a third book of stories was on the way. I just don’t write letters to the Editor. Never have. I don’t write responses to blogs, either. But here I am, mainly to ask, Is there another book forthcoming? I’m not a writer, in fact, I’m strictly a bottom where writing is concerned- I read. I am a consumer of writing and I could eat your words.
And, I would like to.
When can I?
Now that’s a nice comment, Christopher. Thanks. I’m happy you’re out there.
You caught the Esquire Easter eggs! Cool. You belong to an exclusive club, my friend. In fact, it might be you, me, and the editors.
I can’t offer you a new book right now, though a couple of books are getting done, so stay tuned. A new story, “Mountain People,” will appear on the Web site of The American Scholar soon—maybe this month. I’ll mention it here when it comes out. It’s nothing like “Turnaround,” but you might like it.
If you missed it, The American Scholar ran another story involving Vernon DeCloud, called “Unrippable,” a year and a half ago or so. It’s on their Web site.
Cheers.