Writing this journal isn't making this web site look any better. The design doesn't change, it's more a matter of writing and then scanning a photograph for the banner every evening than germinating any great leaps forward. Good writing practice, and that's not to be sneezed at, that's as important, maybe more important, but it doesn't push progress in page design or site design. Simple HTML and jpegs are OK, but you get lulled into complacence and time passes and the Sole Proprietor gets to feeling dull.

Rien Post sent me a picture of the cover of his Dutch edition of The Fan Man by William Kotzwinkle, a favorite of his as well as mine. He mentions the Dutch title "Laat maar waaien" translates into something like "Let it flow, who cares?" and comments the overall translation is rather bad. I read Rien's journal and keep forgetting his native language is Dutch, not English, and I'm more than slightly humbled. He picked up on The Fan Man in 1977 about when it was published. Far out. The Fan Man is special.

He mentions he's read Elephant Bangs Train and Dr. Rat. Both are excellent. Night Book and Hermes 3000 are collected works from the same period. Many people like his Swimmer in the Secret Sea, a moving account of the still born death of his first child, a very private story, very different in tone. If you read and you see a copy of any of these, you might give them a try. The Sole Proprietor is an old fart and his opinions might be suspect, but Post is a much more trustworthy young, twisted, albeit talented and successful, punk and he likes them as well. I'll cop this for my 100 Books section to add a little color.