I'm so sorry, but this giveaway is closed.

That would be WILD! Who knows, though...

Thanks so much!

I am thrilled to hear that. It's such a special book to me. But also one that I fear will not be appreciated by many people.

@@LeafbyLeaf in my experience, it’s those underappreciated or challenging works that turn out to be personally fulfilling.

Same here!

I totally get that. And I found myself in a situation where I could spend lots of contiguous hours reading this one, which, I think, works best for James.

Thanks so much! I also highly recommend his short fiction collected in _Hot Pink_ !

Hahahahah! Well played!

I've missed your comments.

What an accolade!

Hold my book!

thanks!

That's the plan!

Thanks so much!

I am very interested in his work, especially _Autoportrait_ since it was inspired by Levé. Thanks!

So thrilled you took a chance on _Bubblegum_ and connected with it! Vollmann doesn't connect to the internet, so I'd have to either do it over the telephone or...fly to Sacramento!

My pleasure!

Thanks so much!

Thank you so very much! I'm thrilled you enjoyed it!

Very kind of you to say. Thank you so much for the affirmation and encouragement. More to come, for sure!

Haha, yes, it is _the_ pink rectangle of literature.

Thanks so much!

What a joy to have aided in your discovery!

Hope you enjoy it!

Thanks so much for the affirmation!

Yes! Just rippin one cig after another. Only his character Belt Magnet smokes more than he does.

I couldn't agree more. Adam was the perfect person with whom to kick this off. So much fun to talk to. Amazingly cool and down to earth guy. And one heck of a writer!

It's a great book, indeed!

:):):)

thanks!

Thanks so much!

Still waiting to hear back from Melanie Jackson ;)

Almost all of my reading of Dara predates the channel, but I do have a video on _PROVISIONAL BIOGRAPHY OF MOSE EAKINS_ : kzfaq.info/get/bejne/r9-clrKXlseXoqM.html

@@LeafbyLeaf Thanks for the link!

Thanks so much!

I will pass your question along to Adam and circle back if/when he responds.

As promised, here's Adam's reply to your comment: " I often DID have 8 or 9 hours a day, usually 5-7. The way I did it was to a) take about nine years to do it, b) arrange my adjuncting schedule such that i had a couple weekdays off per week, c) give up on the idea of earning more money than i needed to eat, drink coffee, and pay rent, and d) go out at night once every couple weeks at most. I don't think I could do that again. I was in my twenties and early thirties and didn't have health insurance most of the time, but wasn't afraid of that, and it turned out, very luckily, that I didn't need to be afraid of that, but I nonetheless should have been. That is: one should have health insurance. I fear this answer is a downer so far, but your subscriber, if they're really waking up to write 5AM-8AM every day will always end up fine. Doing that kinda thing likely means she has no choice but to keep doing that kind of thing, and I believe that's the biggest deal of all. 0 hours a day, I think, should be avoided at all costs, but maybe that's just me. Whenever I'm really pressed for time in the morning (it doesn't happen that much; I'm childless), I make sure to give myself at least twenty minutes to LOOK at what I'm working on. If I don't do that, I'm lost for awhile. Having said all of that, I know that George Saunders wrote much of his first collection during stolen quarter-hours at work and at home (he had two babies there), and that collection, CIVILWARLAND IN BAD DECLINE, is one of the all-time great collections, so...I have hope for your subscriber!"

@@LeafbyLeaf Wow. I just want to say Chris thank you so much for passing the question on -- and also thank you for all the work you do. I've taken many great recommendations from your channel! Thanks so much for your response Adam. I know you must be very busy, so please don't think my extended response demands another reply of your own -- I just want to honour the thoughtfulness of your comment with one of mine in return. I work from home 3 days per week and occasionally try to sneak in 15 mins work on one of the numerous short stories my eyes have gone bloodshot staring at. It's refreshing to hear that Saunders did something similar -- I love his work, and I'm inspired to see that great pieces like that can be created even when taxed for time. The 5-8 thing is something I try to remain consistent with, although i should have clarified that recently I've had to fit reading into this time so that I can be with my partner in the evenings, which is also when I cook her dinner and clean the house (usually we'd split it but she's pregnant atm). I've been trying to tinker around with sentences in my head during chore time (though not during partner time ofc), although I'm someone who prefers to think on paper. Either way -- I still have three hours, so I can try to make the best of that. The thing about taking 20 mins or so to look at whatever you're working on is really helpful to hear -- I'm often in a rush in life, and in those situations I'm usually guilty of sitting there paralysed wondering how best to make up the time that's slipping away from me. Just sitting down and writing/reading work for 20 minutes would definitely make for a better use of that time than panicking about the loss of it would, so that advice is duly noted. Totally agree on the socialising and money things -- I'll work to earn whatever my daughter needs but I have no aspirations for wealth or luxury - just enough to be safe and secure; and I socialise 0-1 times per week, which I prefer. Thanks once again -- your reply has given me a lot of hope and has solidified my conviction to carry on and do whatever i can whenever i can.

Very kind!

That would be unreal. I'd just sit there tongue-tied while he rambled on about nanoprocessors in space and its affect on laundry detergent or something.

@@LeafbyLeaf or obscure 90's b films and their impact on the us judiciary.

XD

Thanks so much!

Thank you, thank you!

Funny how these waves and phases ebb and flow. I can tell you that _The Instructions_ is nothing like Sebald. :)

Thanks!

Book almost made me quit reading tbh

@@lazycalc2533 Those letters from Mom. Holy fuck.

@@rooruffneck Without question one of the most boring books I have ever read. Nothing about the Curio’s ever interested me. There was some good writing in the first 100 pages, but the rest felt like an eternity of dread to get through.

@@lazycalc2533 One thing I love: for every deeply loved book, we must have wonderful readers who can't stand it. This is a law that I embrace. And, as Levin says, he knows that in three years, it could flip. In either direction, I'd add.

@@rooruffneck “For every deeply loved book” surely cannot be in relation to Bubblegum. Maybe authors such as Pynchon, Proust, DFW, etc. Is it not fair to say it’s an objectively shitty book?

YES!

high five!

I would love to see a similar series on BTF, too!

Thanks so much for all the encouragement!

Ah, Bubblegum. Those letters from mom. They killed and rebuilt me.

I am so thrilled to discover all of you who connected with _Bubblegum_ !

Thanks so much! Hoe you enjoy(ed) it!

Hope you enjoy it! All best!