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Monday, April 04, 2005

John Ashbery and Off-the-Rack Japanese Wives.

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The following New York Sun piece, about John Ashbery, a poet who types his poems on "a large black office-model manual Royal typewriter made in 1949", and whose most recent book of poems had an astonishing first press run of 9,000 copies, qualifies as commentary on more levels than intended. Note, for one, the advertisement for "Japanese Women to Share Your Life With" that heads the piece.

Oh well, The Sun will be able to pay its salaries. The Destina Japan "match-making" service will close a few contracts. Brendan Bernhard gets to publish an indepth piece (1,550 words: a veritable tome!) out of the deal. Ashbery gets a bit of ego-gratification and his publisher can hope to sell a few more copies of the most recent. A few guys will get a docile domestic partner and a few Japanese ladies American citizenship and a crack at the American dream. How delightfully Post-Modern, don't you think?



The Blather Is Profound and Beautifully FormedProfile: John Ashbery
BY BRENDAN BERNHARD
March 30, 2005

Marcel Duchamp said that you're not famous unless taxi drivers recognize you. Once, back in the 1970s, John Ashbery was recognized by a hippie cab driver in Greenwich Village. "Hello, John!" the man called out with a mocking lilt to his voice, before speeding off. Mr. Ashbery said no other cab driver has recognized him since.... [cont'd]




Source: The Page>The New York Sun.

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