Jump to content

Tao Lin: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m trm intro, rmv unsourced material
Line 32: Line 32:
'''Tao Lin''' (born July 2, 1983) is an [[American writer]].
'''Tao Lin''' (born July 2, 1983) is an [[American writer]].


He is the author of five books of fiction and poetry: a novella, ''[[Shoplifting from American Apparel]]'', published September 15, 2009; a novel, ''[[Eeeee Eee Eeee]]'', and a [[short story collection]], ''[[Bed (book)|Bed]]'', published simultaneously May 2007; two [[poetry collection]]s, ''[[you are a little bit happier than i am]]'', which won Action Books' December Prize in 2005 and was published November 2006, and ''[[Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (book)|cognitive-behavioral therapy]]'', published May 2008. [[Melville House Publishing]] has published all his books except his first poetry-collection.
He is the author of ''[[Shoplifting from American Apparel]]'', published September 15, 2009; a novel, ''[[Eeeee Eee Eeee]]'', and a [[short story collection]], ''[[Bed (book)|Bed]]'', published simultaneously May 2007; two [[poetry collection]]s, ''[[you are a little bit happier than i am]]'', and ''[[Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (book)|cognitive-behavioral therapy]]'', published May 2008. [[Melville House Publishing]] has published all his books except his first poetry-collection.

Lin's next book, ''Richard Yates'', his second novel, is forthcoming September 7, 2010 from [[Melville House Publishing]].


Lin's work has appeared in online and print media.
Lin's work has appeared in online and print media.

Revision as of 12:13, 27 September 2010

Tao Lin
OccupationNovelist, short story writer, poet, editor
Period(2005) - present
Subjectconcrete reality, himself
Notable worksyou are a little bit happier than i am (2006) Shoplifting from American Apparel (2009)

Tao Lin (born July 2, 1983) is an American writer.

He is the author of Shoplifting from American Apparel, published September 15, 2009; a novel, Eeeee Eee Eeee, and a short story collection, Bed, published simultaneously May 2007; two poetry collections, you are a little bit happier than i am, and cognitive-behavioral therapy, published May 2008. Melville House Publishing has published all his books except his first poetry-collection.

Lin's work has appeared in online and print media.

Critical response

His writing has attracted both negative and positive attention from various publications. Gawker, who referred to him as "maybe perhaps the single most irritating person we've ever had to deal with," [1] though he was later pardoned [2] and then wrote for the site[3].

Miranda July has said, "Tao Lin writes from moods that less radical writers would let pass—from laziness, from vacancy, from boredom. And it turns out that his report from these places is moving and necessary, not to mention frequently hilarious.”

L Magazine has said, "We've long been deeply irked by Lin's vacuous posturing and 'I know you are but what am I' dorm-room philosophizing..."[4] Sam Anderson in New York Magazine has said, "Dismissing Lin, however, ignores the fact that he is deeply smart, funny, and head-over-heels dedicated in exactly the way we like our young artists to be."[5]

An article in The Atlantic described Lin as having a "staggering" knack for self-promotion. [6]

Books

you are a little bit happier than i am (2006)

In November 2006 Lin's first book, a poetry-collection, you are a little bit happier than i am, was published. It was the winner of Action Books' December Prize. It has consistently been a small press bestseller[7][8]. Nylon called it "alternately quippy and rueful."[9]

Eeeee Eee Eeee & Bed (2007)

In May 2007 Lin's first novel, Eeeee Eee Eeee, and first story-collection, Bed were published simultaneously.

They were ignored by most mainstream media but have since been referenced in The Independent (who called called Eeeee Eee Eeee "a wonderfully deadpan joke."[10]) and The New York Times who called Lin a "deadpan literary trickster"[11] in reference to Eeeee Eee Eeee.

cognitive-behavioral therapy (2008)

In May 2008 Lin's second poetry-collection, cognitive-behavioral therapy was published.[12]

Shoplifting from American Apparel (2009)

In September 2009 Lin's novella, Shoplifting from American Apparel, was published to mixed, strong reviews. The Guardian said, "Trancelike and often hilarious… Lin's writing is reminiscent of early Douglas Coupland, or early Bret Easton Ellis, but there is also something going on here that is more profoundly peculiar, even Beckettian." [13] The Village Voice called it a "fragile, elusive book."[14] Bookslut said, "it shares an affected childishness with bands like The Moldy Peaches and it has a put-on weirdness reminiscent of Miranda July's No One Belongs Here More Than You."[15] Time Out New York said, "Writing about being an artist makes most contemporary artists self-conscious, squeamish and arch. Lin, however, appears to be comfortable, even earnest, when his characters try to describe their aspirations (or their shortcomings) [...] purposefully raw."[16] San Francisco Chronicle said, “Tao Lin's sly, forlorn, deadpan humor jumps off the page [...] will delight fans of everyone from Mark Twain to Michelle Tea.”[17] Los Angeles Times said, "Camus' The Stranger or sociopath?"[18] while Austin Chronicle called it "scathingly funny" and said that "it might just be the future of literature."[19]

Another reviewer described it as "a vehicle...for self-promotion."[20]

In December 2009 clothing retailer Urban Outfitters began selling Shoplifting from American Apparel in its stores.[21]

Richard Yates (2010)

Expected to be published September 7, 2010 by Melville House Publishing[22], Richard Yates is Tao Lin's second novel.

In England, papers such as The Daily Telegraph[23] and The Guardian [24] ran pieces on him. In the United States, Lin was mentioned on the blogs of New York Magazine[25], The New Yorker [26], The New York Times [27], and Poets & Writers[28].


References

Notes
  1. ^ Gould, Emily (2007-07-27). "Now We Also Hate Miranda July". Gawker. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  2. ^ Gould, Emily (2007-12-04). "Pardons". Gawker. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
  3. ^ http://gawker.com/5595952/an-account-of-being-arrested-for-trespassing-nyus-bookstore
  4. ^ http://www.thelmagazine.com/newyork/the-best-of-letters-nyc/Content?oid=1224878&storyPage=2
  5. ^ http://nymag.com/news/features/all-new/53358/
  6. ^ Hua Hsu. "Terminal Boredom: Reading Tao Lin" retrieved August 25, 2010 from www.atlantic.com.[1]
  7. ^ http://www.spdbooks.org/pages/bestsellers/poetry/poetry-bestsellers-july-aug-2008.aspx
  8. ^ http://www.spdbooks.org/pages/bestsellers/poetry/poetry-bestsellers-september-2007.aspx
  9. ^ http://www.flickr.com/photos/11002902@N00/3307499870/sizes/o/
  10. ^ Thorne, Matt (2010-06-04). "Beatrice and Virgil, By Yann Martel". The Independent. London.
  11. ^ Vizzini, Ned (2010-05-06). "Bridge Between Generations". The New York Times.
  12. ^ http://www.mhpbooks.com/book.php?id=16
  13. ^ Poole, Steven (2009-11-14). "Shoplifting from American Apparel by Tao Lin". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
  14. ^ http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-09-08/books/tao-lin-s-five-finger-discount
  15. ^ http://www.bookslut.com/fiction/2009_09_015097.php
  16. ^ http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/books/78017/tao-lin-shoplifting-from-american-apparel-book-review
  17. ^ Messer, Ari (2009-10-01). "Tao Lin: 'Shoplifting from American Apparel'". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  18. ^ "Discoveries: 'Shoplifting From American Apparel'". Los Angeles Times. 2009-09-27. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
  19. ^ http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/review?oid=oid:891344
  20. ^ Katie Nolfi."Review a Day". PowellsBooks. [2]
  21. ^ http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2009/12/urban_outfitter.php
  22. ^ Roy, Jessica (2009-09-25). "NYU Alum and Poet Tao Lin Doesn't Care Whether or Not You Think Print Is Dead". NYU Local. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  23. ^ Moore, Matthew (2008-08-04). "Penniless author sells shares in next novel". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  24. ^ Flood, Alison (2008-08-06). "Taking stock of Tao Lin". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  25. ^ "The Approval Matrix: Week of August 18, 2008". New York Magazine.
  26. ^ "In the News: Tory Reads, Male Retorts". The New Yorker. 2008-08-05. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  27. ^ Freakanomics (2008-08-01). "When a Novelist Holds an IPO". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  28. ^ "Author Sells Shares of Royalties for Unfinished Novel". Poets & Writers. 2008-08-05. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
Bibliography


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tao_Lin&oldid=387301662"