27 people have now signed up for the Deathmarch. And I think it’s safe to say that this little idea has now morphed from an amusing notion into a full-fledged movement — a movement that may well change the way people think about reading books and talking about them on blogs forever.
Here’s the rough plan: Tuesday will be GRDM day here on cecilvortex.com. For the next couple of weeks, that will mean short updates as folks holidize, stretch their legs, wash their socks, that sort of thing. But starting on the morning of Jan. 4, we’ll have a post indicating how far we aim to travel on the first week. Each week’s journey will be roughly 50 pages. Since editions may vary and numbers can’t be trusted, the marker will be “read up to X” rather than “read to page Y.”
Starting on the 11th I’ll post short entries here every Tuesday morning that will be meant as open threads — a spot to drop comments. I’m encouraging everyone to chime in, if only with “oh my lord, this is awful, what have I done?” More than anything, this is a GR support group.
Although a paragraph or three of pithy analysis will always be welcome, I’m going to discourage folks from giving in to old habits and churning out a 6-page paper each week. (If 27 people wrote 6 pages each week of the GRDM we’d end up with 2,430 pages of critical analysis. And that, I’m pretty sure, would make my head blow up.)
Prizes? Oh yes, there will be prizes. More on that next week….
It’s not to late to sign yourself (or several loved ones) up for the march. All are welcome. Just add a comment to this link, or drop me an email.
Merry Tuesday and watch the skies, -Cecil
"…something like the supervisor of an entire team of political agents…"
You’re a very persuasive character, Cecil V. Count me in for the death march. Hand me that parchment … there. I’ve signed. IN MY OWN BLOOD.
I dreamt of Gravity’s Rainbow for half the night last night.
Thanks a freakin lot, Cecil.
let the record state that equating literature with marching in unison to death is what W is all about, hence the anti-education president.
OK, I’m in. If for no other reason than to watch you sweat as we reach the 2,300 page mark.
Yeah, it’s re-reading for me. Wanna make something of that? “Hey, punk, I’ve *forgotten* more about Gravity’s Rainbow than you could learn in the next fifty years!”
And another thing. I’m still gnashing my teeth that you picked GR. There’s only one book that I’ve ever started and stopped more than once, and it would make a much better candidate for this kind of treatment. Doesn’t “The Satanic Verses Deathmarch” have a far snappier ring to it?
This will be rather horrifying, but I’m in. Haven’t done sufficient penance for my crimes over the last few years, so this ought to catch me up to 2011.