read the donald barthelme syllabus

i was having a crummy night a few nights ago, so i sat around and used the list site to set up the syllabus properly. it took forever (so many out of print books!), but i guess it will be useful. in a few instances, i took some liberties, since it’s really up to the individual to consider how many pushcart prize anthologies they really need to read, for example.

if anyone else with this goal uses those lists, come on and use mine. i’ll feel all purposeful then.

i’m sort of embarrassed that i had only previously read nine of the books on the list, and now ten because of Nog. but i guess it’s nice to have a big list of fresh books. or books that i know i should have already read.

personal ratings of what i’ve already read:

1. V – Thomas Pynchon B
2. The Lime Twig – John Hawkes B
3. Rabbit, Run – John Updike B
4. Going After Cacciato – Tim O’Brien A-
5. A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess A
6. Invisible Cities – Italo Calvino A+
7. Chimera – John Barth B
8. I Would Have Saved Them If I Could – Leonard Michaels A+
9. Collected Stories – Flannery O’Connor A+
10. Nog – Rudy Wurlitzer B