Tao asks Todd Hasak-Lowy tough questions about life and depression. The interview looks long on my computer monitor and requires several turns of the scroll wheel to see in entirety and I think I was “intimidated” by this length. That is the reason it took me so long to write this “review.” I still haven’t read all the comments actually because of my exhaustion at reading the interview.
First thing that strikes me is that Tao is interviewing an author that he likes. Indeed, Tao had previously wrote of his appreciation for Todd and I think even that Tao is “inspired” by the work of Todd. I suppose I should endeavour to conduct an interview with one of my literary heroes as Tao has and I haven’t but should have by now. Probably I would like to interview Tao first but absent that, I would gladly interview any reader of this blog as likely all readers are writers. Email taolinsuperfan@gmail.com for details.
Second thing that strikes me is that my brother knows Hebrew too!
Third thing that strikes me is that Tao and Todd make a good conversational pair. Even though this interview was conducted via email, I read every word while visualizing a scene set at Seward Cafe in Minneapolis. Tao and Todd were sitting at separate tables, discussing depression and Hebrew literature in raised voices. In the forefront, Bobby Billy Becker and others were discussing canvassing and train hopping in hushed voices. Outside of the frame of my visualization, I sat alone drinking coffee and eavesdropping on Bobby Billy Becker. I didn’t notice Tao and Todd for some reason.
Fourth thing that strikes me are the comments. At first people are talking about depression and different coping strategies. That is boring. Then some people talk about blogging and someone offers to “go back and forth” with Tao. That is also boring. Then Tao says smoking is bad vis-à-vis ZZ Packer. That is exciting. I think smoking is bad too vis-à-vis anything in general. Hopefully I will get a lot of comments. Some person called Fran writes an especially passionate comment about Tao’s lack of manners and calls him “Babe.” Tao responds thoughtfully and it makes me smile to read his reasoned response. Probably I should write painfully logical comments more often than I do now like Tao does and I don’t. I suspect that it may get me somewhere.
Fifth thing that strikes me are Tao’s increasing references to Lorrie Moore. They seem to be increasingly charming. Also there is an increasing likelihood that Lorrie Moore will “notice” the budding literary star of Tao Lin. I will venture to mention my heroes more often in comments and blog entries, probably.
Sixth thing that strikes me is the content of the interview. The large blocks of text initially intimidated me but after reading Todd’s answers I am left feeling that the interview was not particularly impressive. I probably could have guessed that Todd would have said the things that he said in response to the questions that Tao asked. I could have also guessed Tao’s questions. I don’t know if predictability should be a measure of an interview but I wonder now how I was exhausted by that interview. I think I will actually redact that earlier statement because probably I just made it up to make this story interesting. The interview reminds me of an interview I recently conducted for a music blog that I write. It was massively boring. I think that unless Tao and Todd were actually conversing at Seward Cafe or unless Tao and Todd had an extensive unpublished dialogue via email, that probably Tao and Todd also felt that the interview was “massively boring” but did it anyway because it is theoretically interesting to interview and be interviewed, as writers and by writers.
