Percival Everett

It appears that Percival Everett is a name to be reckoned with in American letters today.

His latest book is a collection of short stories called Half an Inch of Water, but he is better known for his novels, such as Erasure (2001).

The November issue of Harper's included what is in format a review of Half an Inch, but what is in substance a general appreciation of Everett's body of work. The appreciator is Justin Taylor, the author of three books of fiction of his own.

Since this well-written essay is the first time (to my knowledge anyway) that I've even come across Everett's name, I'm in no position to make judgments. I'll simply quote Taylor without further comment or ado.

"He rarely does publicity, doesn't write reviews, and doesn't read reviews of his own work; he is probably not coming soon to a bookstore near you. His novels tend to be both choppy and dense, with chapters broken up into one or two page scenes that are riven with philosophical asides, interpolations from outside texts, wordplay, classical allusions, self-interrogations, meta-fictional interjections, and the occasional photograph, drawing, mathematical equation or semiotic square."

Well ... one further comment. If you're wondering, "what's a semiotic square?" you can answer that question here.

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