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Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Books A Literary Magazine With Vision

Posted by Paul Constant on Wed, Sep 9, 2009 at 1:08 PM

Jonathan Lethem is guest-editing and guest-writing an entire issue of literary magazine The Thing. To the right is a photo of what his issue looks like,

Yes, it's a pair of glasses. The Thing is a magazine that comes to subscribers as a different object every time. This is what they say about Lethem's issue:

Jonathan's issue is entitled the "Chaldron Optical System." It relates to his upcoming novel CHRONIC CITY and consists of a glasses case, a pair of clear glasses with text on each of the arms, and a care and maintenance manual written in both English and French.

I'd like to see the Kindle version of this.

Comments (10) RSS

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Those look like Fnarf's glasses.

Posted by wisepunk on September 9, 2009 at 1:15 PM

That is not a magazine.

Posted by N on September 9, 2009 at 1:23 PM

Dang. I was going to sell cheese sandwiches except they were radial tires that I was going to call cheese sandwiches. Get it? See?

But now it's already been done and I'll never be famous for 12-13 minutes.

Posted by elenchos on September 9, 2009 at 1:29 PM

i'm getting my shoes published

Posted by m@tt on September 9, 2009 at 1:46 PM

I don't want to see the Kindle version of this, or the regular version either. "The Thing" is bullshit, start to finish.

Posted by Fnarf

on September 9, 2009 at 1:49 PM

@4, "The Thing" has already published a shoe. Issue #6. If you're a non-subscriber, you can order one for $60. Please note that you only get one shoe, and it is attached by the laces to a blank book entitled "Problems and Promises".

The authors consider this to be an experiment that "test[s] whether concepts such as authorship, nationality, borders, and democracy adequately describe today’s increasingly global and consumerist society". They also think that it "function[s] as a catalyst for social change".

I think they're full of shit and should be run over with cars.

Posted by Fnarf

on September 9, 2009 at 2:29 PM

"Issue 6, by Allora & Calzadilla, consisted of a blank book, entitled "Problems and Promises", which was attached to a tennis shoe. One of the tennis shoe laces was sewn into the spine of the book."

*vomit*

Posted by spoiler alert on September 9, 2009 at 2:29 PM

@6,

What pretentious twats.

Posted by keshmeshi on September 9, 2009 at 2:31 PM

It's like a random-shit-of-the-month club!

Posted by samiaint on September 9, 2009 at 3:49 PM

I had a Grandmother who would send me weird random shit from her house. Who knew I was actually receiving a magazine subscription all those years ago.

Posted by au_gout on September 9, 2009 at 4:52 PM