Proust/Fitterman

The Corresponding Society will be starting off the new year with a monolithic reading featuring some of today’s most incredible poets, assembled by Master of Ceremonies Lonely Christopher. The event shall be staged 7 January at 7pm at Chelsea’s P.P.O.W. Gallery under the rubric of the Hostess Project. The readers shall be Rachel Zolf, Rob Fitterman, Christian Hawkey, Rachel Levitsky, and, fuck yes, Richard Loranger. While you anxiously await this happening, please accept the following blog content to hold you over. Rob Fitterman (aka Rob the plagiarist) has generously filled out a loosely interpreted version of the Proust Questionnaire, which you’ll find below. There will be more Proust Questionnaire answers, perhaps from other featured readers and definitely from some members of The Corresponding Society, to follow in the new year.

An Introduction to Robert Fitterman

Robert Fitterman is the author of 10 books of poetry including: The Sun Also Also Rises, war the musical, Metropolis XXX: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Edge Books), Metropolis 16-29 (Coach House Press), Metropolis 1-15 (Sun & Moon Press), This Window Makes Me Feel (www.ubu.com). Metropolis 1-15 was awarded the Sun & Moon “New American Poetry Award (2000)” and Metropolis 16-29 was awarded the Small Press Traffic “Book of the Year Award (2003)”. With novelist Rodrigo Rey Rosa, he co-authored the film What Sebastian Dreamt which was selected for the Sundance Film Festival (2004) and the Lincoln Center LatinBeat Festival (2004). He has been a full-time faculty member in NYU’s Liberal Studies Program since 1993. He also teaches poetry at the Milton Avery School of Graduate Studies at Bard College.
(from the NYU website)


Robert Fitterman Answers the Proust Questionnaire

Your favorite virtue.
Generosity.

Your favorite qualities in a man.
Femininity.

Your favorite qualities in a woman.
Masculinity.

Your chief characteristic.
Loyalty.

What you appreciate the most in your friends.
Loyalty.

Your main fault.
Bad with money.

Your favorite occupation.
Poet.

Your idea of happiness.
Lunch in the Italian countryside with friends and Kim and Coco.

Your idea of misery.
Not being able to do the former.

If not yourself, who would you be?
Myself.

Where would you like to live?
In NYC.

Your favorite prose authors.
My favorite authors blur this genre distinction.

Your favorite poets.
What day is it today?

Your favorite heroes in fiction.
Not much, thanks.

Your favorite heroines in fiction.
These are the pants I was telling you about.

Your favorite painters and composers.
OK, great to see you too.

Your heroes in “real life.”
Call me when you get in, OK?

What characters in history do you most dislike?
Sure, but please don't worry.

Your favorite names.
Hector & Tula.

What do you hate the most?
Badly prepared or presented or cared for or corrupted food.