POOR PEOPLE by William T. Vollmann
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- Опубликовано: 17 окт 2024
- First half of the video is about my time in Haiti among the impoverished. Skip to 12:45 for the book review.
AN ORAL HISTORY OF WILLIAM VOLLMANN’S RISING UP AND RISING DOWN
www.mcsweeneys...
Link to Hands and Feet Project (Haiti):
handsandfeetpr...
The 2019 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI):
hdr.undp.org/en...
Great review! I started reading You Bright and Risen Angels and right off the hook I was propelled into the complexity of obscure or foot note expanded historical details implied and included in the text. I'd very much like to see you do a video on Thomas Pynchon and his entire compendium same way you did Vollman and Eco. I'm from the Philippines, one of a 100 million and the only person I know that really gives 2 shots on verbose and complex literature. This country has pretty much been the sad sack former self of its economic stability right after Marco's, and the government under Duterte at the moment isn't as different or worse than Trumps, which doesn't help or Makes my case for the Philippines as a better country. I'm very much interested to see what Vollman has described of the philippines condition of happy slum turfers and wildly fast breeding people. Thanks for reading, hope you a good day!
Thank you for your comments and compliments! I am way overdue for re-reading Pynchon, so that’s a great idea. Enjoy the complexity of Vollmann!
Excellent analysis, as usual. I know this is an older video, and it was interesting to hear about your mission trip to Haiti. What is interesting is that we don't even really help our own people but we send millions to Africa and elsewhere, just look at Appalachia, be it WV, or KY, parts of Missouri. We just let these people rot in poverty because of the towns mostly being shelled out because of the work leaving the country. The massive drug epidemic there and so on . . . Sad. I remember years and years ago when I use to go to Church and all of the "missionaries" they supported around the world, but barely anything in our own country, other than the token local pantry type of thing, but nothing for large swathes of our country.
Trust me--I definitely feel your frustration on that score. In fact, I just got back from a week in Los Angeles. Talk about people rotting in poverty, madness, and drug addiction. Some friends prepped me for it, but I was still floored at the numbers of homeless with makeshift dwellings tucked into every conceivable nook and cranny (every alley, every underpass)--not to mention Skid Row. It crushed me. Two things I try to keep in mind, not to excuse, but to cope: (1) it is a global problem; and (2) even small-scale operations are a blessing to those few. It's a strange parallel scalar to our ethics that, if one person gets shot we are not as moved as one-hundred people shot--and if one person gets fed we are not as moved as one hundred fed. But in both cases, it matters to that one person. Anyway, it's often a complex, intersectional problem that involves many factors. Still, though, I totally get what you're saying, and it's heartrending to know/to see these terrible situations in our own country that is supposedly the powerhouse of the world. Speaking of those regions you cited, Vollmann's Carbon Ideologies throws light on WV and KY mining towns. And the work of Breece D'J Pancake and William Gay have given expression to the dismal situations you've cited.
@@LeafbyLeaf You are right, it is like a 3rd world country out there. IF we are not careful the rest of the country can become that way . . .
😔 alas
excellent. i loved hearing about your own time in haiti, incredible, it was very much edifying to me. one of my faovrite videos that i have seen from you. makes me want to read volmann more, i had not even heard of this book fbefore, i have europe central and the abridged rising up and rising down, i think i will have to read this book. probably the most interesating one ive heard of so far. he writes so much stuff its crazy.
At one point he had five different publishers in one year in order to keep up with his output! He definitely deserves to be read more. Thank you for your kind comments and I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Come back after you read the book and let me know your thoughts.
I bought this one a few weeks ago on a whim. I think that it might be one of his most "readable" books and it's one of my favorites
Yes, you're right--this one is written very crisply and directly. Some of his other in this journalistic vein are, too: Imperial, Riding toward Everywhere, Afghanistan Picture Show.
Ha Leaf by Leaf thank you for your recommendations. I just got this book among The Rainbow Stories and You Bright and Risen Angels. I love The Rainbow Stories, by far my favorite. What is your favorite William T. Vollmann book and have you read the rainbow stories? If you have can you do a review? Thanks and keep up the awesome reading and recommendations.
Thanks and You’re welcome! My favorite Vollmann book so far is Fathers and Crows. Haven’t read Rainbow Stories yet, but I will definitely be making a video when I do. Happy reading!
An enlightening video. Thanks!
Thank you. Glad you got something out of it.
Really putting me on this writer who I have seen featured in many of your vids, including the previous review you did of one of his novels, pls do a vid about the seven dreams series, thanks to you I have been investigating about the author and I'm personally interested in some of his books, mainly a couple of his seven dreams series, which might help me in a current writing project, im very interested in the themes he seems to deal in those books and from what I can hear he has enough technique and talent to make it enjoyable too, so pls talk about nay of those books (the ones I'm really curious about are Trifles (cuz I've heard is short and sweet) and fathers and crows, which seems to deal with topics that may renosate more with me, but I'm kinda into short books(300-500 pages) atm, due to an od of a thousand page book, lately, and 900 is kind of a commitment and once I start a book I can't leave it unfinished hehe) as always thankx for the great content, keep it up :)
fascinating story about your experience in Haiti btw
The Seven Dreams series is a massive promise of a project that has Vollmann outdoing himself with every volume! Lucky for you, I just finished re-reading the first installment, THE ICE-SHIRT, and will continue through the series and post videos. And THE ICE-SHIRT clocks in at around 350pp, so your preferred page count will fit it (THE RIFLES comes later in the series). FATHERS AND CROWS will be posted in December or January. Thanks for watching!
I must check out vollmann's non-fiction works as soon as possible. In these days I'm going through shakespeare's 38 plays in chronological order and it's a big deal. Yesterday i bought auden's "lectures on shakespeare". It seems pretty interesting and funny cause auden had such an unconventional way of thinking. Anyway i've appreciated your video as usual. PS. I'm just in the middle of moby dick! The part about cetology is very interesting but very tough and annoying at the same time. In fact i slow my pace of reading. See you soon!
You’re being very ambitious! All of Shakespeare’s play along with Moby-Dick! A lot of teachers suggest reading it, omitting the cetology parts, which I think is fine for the first time. But there are nuggets within those sections. That is a book that gets better with each read!
Sounds interesting.
Bro...I was right there with you...right up until the point where you referred to the Clintons as "philanthropists"...okay...good one..
😂😂😂
I want to read his The Royal Family, I'm just scared I'm not going to enjoy it.
Have you read any WTV yet?
@@LeafbyLeaf No I haven't have you.
Quite a bit, yes. I’d recommend starting with The Atlas.
Why not use the internet? Too much g irl s ? And his wife had enough?
That’s an understandable guess, but he certainly doesn’t need the internet for girls-he obviously prefers intrepid physical immersion in his research. The only solid reason he has given is that he doesn’t want to be advertised to. He refusal of connection really made for a epic editing journey for RURD!
Too many ums. Um., um