[delany-list] discovery while reading *Dhalgren* again

[Erich Schneider [e-mail] [delany-list]]

I am reading *Dhalgren* again for the first time in about ten years.
My experience is different each time; for example, since my last
reading I have moved to San Francisco, and Joaquim Faust's
statement that he "sold the *Tribe* on the corner of Market and Van
Ness" now means more to me.

But another discovery I made on this most recent reading: when Kidd
visits Tak's penthouse for the first time, he notes science fiction
novels in Tak's library, by Disch, Zelazny, and Russ, the latter being
"something called *The Female Man*. Looking it up, I learned that *The
Female Man* had not been published when *Dhalgren* was written or went
to press; *Dhalgren* was published in January, 1975, while *The Female
Man* was published in February of 1975 (and was also a "Frederik Pohl
Selection" of Bantam Books). I can only imagine what *Dhalgren*'s
original readers experienced when they first read of this nonexistent
work by Russ, only to have it appear for the first time a short while
later! It must've added to the sense of *Dhalgren* being set in the
indeterminately near future.

(To those of you who have not done so already, I recommend finding
Russ's short story "A Game of Vlet" in her collection _The Zanzibar
Cat_, to see how it inspired vlet as depicted in _Trouble on Triton_.)

[Paul Brazier [e-mail] [delany-list]]

Erich
This is fascinating. I do remember John Clute told me he read Dhalgren in
its original dyslexic manuscript and I believe Delany was staying with him
(or nearby) in his Camden Town flat. And I had the impression Joanna Russ
lived there too in the early seventies. I'm sorry this is too vague but it
might prompt more solid remembrances from other readers. And you have
prompted me to unearth the book again. It will be, I fear, for me a
thirty-year reunion.

Take care

Paul Brazier

Post by Erich Schneider ***@alumni.caltech.edu [delany-list]
I am reading *Dhalgren* again for the first time in about ten years.
My experience is different each time; for example, since my last
reading I have moved to San Francisco, and Joaquim Faust's
statement that he "sold the *Tribe* on the corner of Market and Van
Ness" now means more to me.
But another discovery I made on this most recent reading: when Kidd
visits Tak's penthouse for the first time, he notes science fiction
novels in Tak's library, by Disch, Zelazny, and Russ, the latter being
"something called *The Female Man*. Looking it up, I learned that *The
Female Man* had not been published when *Dhalgren* was written or went
to press; *Dhalgren* was published in January, 1975, while *The Female
Man* was published in February of 1975 (and was also a "Frederik Pohl
Selection" of Bantam Books). I can only imagine what *Dhalgren*'s
original readers experienced when they first read of this nonexistent
work by Russ, only to have it appear for the first time a short while
later! It must've added to the sense of *Dhalgren* being set in the
indeterminately near future.
(To those of you who have not done so already, I recommend finding
Russ's short story "A Game of Vlet" in her collection _The Zanzibar
Cat_, to see how it inspired vlet as depicted in _Trouble on Triton_.)
--
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[Noah Lyons [e-mail] [delany-list]]

Hi Erich,

I wrote my master's thesis on *Dhalgren* while living in Berkeley, (I now
live in Alameda), so I also experienced many resonances of geography and
cityspace. I keep wondering if the Bay Bridge was more an influence than,
say, NYC bridges. When the second volume of Delany's journals is published,
I think we will get a lot of new insight in the actual experience of
*Dhalgren's
*composition; very exciting!

Warmly,
Noah

Post by Paul Brazier ***@gmail.com [delany-list]
Erich
This is fascinating. I do remember John Clute told me he read Dhalgren in
its original dyslexic manuscript and I believe Delany was staying with him
(or nearby) in his Camden Town flat. And I had the impression Joanna Russ
lived there too in the early seventies. I'm sorry this is too vague but it
might prompt more solid remembrances from other readers. And you have
prompted me to unearth the book again. It will be, I fear, for me a
thirty-year reunion.
Take care
Paul Brazier

Post by Erich Schneider ***@alumni.caltech.edu [delany-list]
I am reading *Dhalgren* again for the first time in about ten years.
My experience is different each time; for example, since my last
reading I have moved to San Francisco, and Joaquim Faust's
statement that he "sold the *Tribe* on the corner of Market and Van
Ness" now means more to me.
But another discovery I made on this most recent reading: when Kidd
visits Tak's penthouse for the first time, he notes science fiction
novels in Tak's library, by Disch, Zelazny, and Russ, the latter being
"something called *The Female Man*. Looking it up, I learned that *The
Female Man* had not been published when *Dhalgren* was written or went
to press; *Dhalgren* was published in January, 1975, while *The Female
Man* was published in February of 1975 (and was also a "Frederik Pohl
Selection" of Bantam Books). I can only imagine what *Dhalgren*'s
original readers experienced when they first read of this nonexistent
work by Russ, only to have it appear for the first time a short while
later! It must've added to the sense of *Dhalgren* being set in the
indeterminately near future.
(To those of you who have not done so already, I recommend finding
Russ's short story "A Game of Vlet" in her collection _The Zanzibar
Cat_, to see how it inspired vlet as depicted in _Trouble on Triton_.)
--
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
== Posted to delany-list, hosted at yahoo groups ==
== A mailing list for the discussion of the works of Samuel R. Delany. ==
------------------------------------
Yahoo Groups Links