Lower-case Roman numerals in parentheses (i)
from the janitor at the Viet Nam Literature Project
(i) flags the first post about a book or topic. For example, Lower-case Roman numerals in parentheses (i) addresses these numerals for the first time.
You are reading the most recent of 27 posts ending (i).
(ii) flags the second post about a book or topic. Une si jolie petite guerre (ii) addresses Marcelino Truong’s bande-dessinée for the second time. That (ii) judges a book by its cover, as many (i) and (ii) do.
(iii) flags the third post about a book or topic. Dawson's War (iii) is the third of 16 third posts so far. Not all of them have appeared so far here on substack because I work to run 1 to 3 months ahead, as magazines do.
For the same reason, by the time you may read this one I may have written more. By the third post on a book I have already had fun with the title and the cover. In Dawson's War (iii) I dig into the story as slowly as possible.
(iv) flags the fourth post about a book or topic. The Decorations and Medals of the Republic of Viet Nam (iv) is the fourth of 12 fourth returns so far.
The Decorations and Medals of the Republic of Viet Nam (v) is the fifth of 8 fifth readings so far. Many returns to this reference book demonstrate the theme of its authors, that the Republic of Viet Nam, our ally in Saigon, represented its people intricately.
You get the idea. Here are the first (vi)
and the first (vii).
I have finished and scheduled an (viii) and a (ix) on this novel, that will appear before this post. The 9 total have reported on the work as I read it. I foresee at least a (x), an (xi), and (xii) in retrospect.
I have many things to say about that book. I don’t yet know how many about any of them. I write a (i) on a book only when I dimly foresee at least a dozen readings, with no upward limit. Maybe not now right away but soon, and for a long time.