55 Comments

Auslander's column on the early voices of the multifaceted American literary scene of the last five minutes is a tour d' force. Whether one is approaching preschool or not, he captures the poignancy of this vital moment.

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Somehow it's less annoying when it's praising me.

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I can't believe you praised that plagiarist Goldfarb. My niece Selma was screaming before she was even born.

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In uteros are doing some great work this year.

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I’m disappointed that no critic has mentioned the crucial genre of prenatal hiccups. After all, for sheer audacity, what can compare to the irregular and unpredictable leaps of a pregnant belly inhabited by a hiccuping fetus?

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We'll cover that in out music 2 Under 2.

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You are one of the few earthlings who can make me laugh in these dark times. thank you. xx

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I’m sending myself to time out for not writing this first. This is exceedingly funny.

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You make wearing adult diapers worthwhile.

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Blurb for my next book. Thanks.

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The title & subtitle alone absolutely destroyed my miserable mood. Thank you!

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Slow clap. This is excellent writing.

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Even if the fish are in a barrel, it is still fun to shoot them

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Says Bibi.

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I laughed so hard at this I just had to (finally) subscribe. What a sendup of literary criticism today! Thank you, Shalom. Shabat Shalom!

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This was beautifully humorous—a good laugh at the expense of our little people and their immense daily struggles.

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A tour de force through the nursery auteur set! There is hope for us yet!

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All well and good. But what are their positions on Israel/Palestine? Have they scrawled on any problematic children’s menus?

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I tried to ask them about the Middle East, but every time I did they wisely pretended to be napping.

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I'm 51 and relieved I didn't qualify for this category, I could never compete with these geniuses.

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Loved the comment about the Goldfarbs and how they are sure to win a "Fucking literary award" due to all the cultures to which they belong. I own (for now) a small bookstore in Canada and that is how sales reps are presenting books to us. The more diverse, the higher up on the curated list they are and the harder they push us to buy it. My simple question when buying books from them is : "Is the book any good?" I don't care where the author is from or what their gender and sexual preferences are. I want to know about the book. That's what I'm buying. You said it all in that one sentence (for me, anyway)

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Just send headshots and bios, who needs the book?

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As a parent/grandparent and as a lover of satire, I say “You nailed it.” This is both a brilliant takedown of literary reviews and the ultimate paean to toddlerhood.

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I feel every word or wordlessness ... literally and literarily. Bravo!

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".. she is not looking to “change” your mind. She is only looking to change her diaper." You go, girl! First things first.

"...the future of prose, a prose-less prose, a less-prose prose, a prose less-ness, a ness-less lessness-ness." Ah, Shalom, I myself am reduced now to writing six-word stories on Substack. Readers' attention spans are becoming so short. But, hey, if they were good enough for Hemingway, they are good enough for me.

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