14 Comments

"A novel is not the sum of its collective sentences, surely." --> one of the ongoing debates of my life/many of my personal + professional relationships... one day we will figure this out, I just know it (fwiw I agree w you)

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i once saw ben lerner in a movie theater and (this is really embarrassing) i mostly watched ben lerner watch the movie. he was very expressive!

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Nov 20Author

this sounds like something the narrator of 10:04 would do haha

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that’s the embarrassing part

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Nov 20Author

what was the movie??

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this is the worst part! Uncut Gems!

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I'll second "The Thing Itself". What a great book! And credit to Phil Christman for the recommendation

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Nov 20·edited Nov 20Liked by BDM

I wish I could remember where I read it, but somewhere Roberts - an atheist - talks about how funny it was that he wrote a book that argues so well for the existence of God

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Nov 20Author

I gave it to a friend before reading it myself (which I usually don't do but the subject seemed perfect for her) and then when I finished I thought hm I wouldn't have given that to her if I'd realized the ending was almost preachingly Christian, I hope she didn't take it the wrong way… imagine my surprise lol

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Nov 20·edited Nov 20Liked by BDM

bdm [to her unsuspecting friend]: "and after you finish that you should check out this other sci-fi book called 'The Sparrow'. I know how much you like outer space."

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Nov 20Author

haha… I hate The Sparrow so luckily no danger there

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Now I’m curious why you hate The Sparrow!

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Ben Lerner’s The Topeka School has one amazing section about how high school debate turns you into a psychopath, otherwise a complete waste of time

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Nov 19Author

Okay but what if I already KNOW that

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