Re: Lydia Davis on "Glen Gould"

[Mary Jo Watts <mwatts@rci.rutgers.edu>]

Thanks to f_minor ex-member Phil Garon I have a copy of the Lydia Davis
short-story Kristen mentions.  (Thanks Phil and I'm sorry I took so long
to get back to you <blush>!!!)

It's from _Doubletake_ Spring 1997 and they did at least get GG's name
spelled correctly. 

"Plot": The new mother is watching _The Mary Tyler Moore_ show and her
friend Mitch tells her how much GG liked it. She'd been a teen-aged fan
of GG when she took piano lessons (thought he was pretty hunky) and
imitated his fingerings. As an adult she imagines GG watching the show
with her and notes that he had high standards.  She describes GG's
writings, his likes and dislikes (like a jacket cover for the Friedrich
book!)  Anyway now that she's alone with the baby when her husband comes
home and they don't have anything to say to each other, they talk about
The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She thinks of her baby and then says that GG
had none. (She keeps calling Barbra Striesand an ugly singer and can't
imagine why GG'd like her except for his sense of humor.)  Then she
takes the baby for a walk and describes the houses, etc. in great
detail.  She muses on MTM for awhile and the story ends with her trying
to figure out why GG liked the show and talking about his habits again.  
Honestly I found the story amatuerish and rambling-- not very memorable
at all.  It's four magazine pages long... 

Thanks again to Phil-- miss you on the list!!

All good wishes,
-Mary Jo 


Kristen Immoor wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> Just came across an interview with author Lydia Davis. The article
> mentions
> "Almost No Memory," a collection of her short stories, one of which is
> a
> free-association piece called "Glen Gould." It seems to be about a
> woman
> and a baby and the lack of potential conversation between the two. Has
> anyone read this? Can you give a brief synopsis of it here?
> Thanks
> Kristen
> 
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> 
> "I'm very much the anti-hero in real life, you see, but I compensate
> madly
> in my dreams."
> 
>                                   -- Glenn Gould, "Toronto"