Don DeLillo, Dogs and Other Matters

(Posted Jan 29, 01:36 PM)

I’ve just heard that I’ve had another conference paper accepted, this time at the British Society for Literature and Science conference in Keele at the end of March. I’m giving a paper on Don DeLillo, fiction and the lies of consciousness (see the link here), which means, more or less, that I’m going to be talking about how consciousness weaves fictions about itself, and how the fictions of Don DeLillo subtly unweave these fictions. Setting a thief to catch a thief and all that jazz. I’m thinking in particular of the extraordinary opening pages of The Body Artist.

Hungry Dog

Meanwhile, Cargo Fever continues to attract new fans. I spoke to a friend on the phone last night whose dog was so enamoured with the book that it chewed it to shreds when he was only half way through. Or perhaps the hound in question, seeing a book set in East Indonesia where dog is frequently on the menu, decided to put the book out of circulation before it was too late. Cheeky mutt. Anyway, in the interests of bolstering my sales figures, if you want to give your dog a wholesome treat, then do think of getting a copy. Apparently it went down pretty well.

 

  1. I had always read DeLillo as being concerned with opposing the visual image (oppressive) against the written word (liberating) – but I can see the meta-fiction angle too, especially in ‘Falling Man’ and ‘Cosmopolis’.

    … And that dog looks like it’s going in seven different directions at once: a multidimensional dog.


    — Frank O'Connor    Feb 7, 04:41 AM    #

  2. Yes, what is going on with that dog?
    I haven’t read falling man – I may get myself a copy.
    All the best,
    Will


    — Will    Feb 14, 04:18 PM    #
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