“David Foster Wallace was a brilliant experimentalist who I deeply admire. His ability to do formalism helped me understand how to tackle stories like "Dictionary" and "Failed Revolution." "Dictionary," in particular, functions against narrative in many ways - each of the definitions are their own mini-story or prose poem, and the collection of them adds up to create a different effect than the traditional Freytagian Pyramid story.” WayDifferentStoriesAbilityEffectsParticularRevolutionFunctionAddDefinitionsBrilliantAdmireTraditionalNarrativeProseCollectionsDictionaryPyramids Author:Alexander Weinstein
“That particular story ["The Pyramid and the Ass"] was written during the dark days of the Bush years. George W. Bush had just been "re-elected" (or elected for the first time, depending on how you count the stolen election) and it seemed like the horror of his presidency would last forever.” YearsFirstsStoriesLastsDarkForeverWrittenParticularHorrorFirst TimeElectionAssPresidencyStolenPyramidsDark Days Author:Alexander Weinstein
“In the story ["The Pyramid and the Ass"] there's this war against the so-called Buddhist Terrorists. As we find out, they're not really terrorists at all, just good folks trying to liberate people from technology and fight against an American government/corporation trying to coopt our souls. The inherent racism and Buddhist-phobia in the story plays into the present demonizing of Islam - and of our loss of knowledge about the great, spiritual history of the Sufis, for example, or the cultural heritage from the middle east.” PeopleTryingWarSoulPlayStoriesGovernmentSpiritualFightingLossTechnologyMiddleExampleRacismIslamFolksEastTerroristAssBuddhistCorporationsHeritageMiddle EastInherentSufiPyramidsAmerican GovernmentPhobiaCultural HeritageGreat Spiritual Author:Alexander Weinstein
“I'm just worried that the technology I invented in that story ["The Pyramid and the Ass" ] will become real, and George W. Bush will be able to clone into a new body and be "re-elected" due to a clone-bill passed by him and his cronies. God forbid!” RealStoriesBodyAbleTechnologyBillsDuesAssWorriedPyramidsCronies Author:Alexander Weinstein