Viet Nam letters (iv)

from the janitor at the Viet Nam Literature Project

I read the book or whatever. What I do for the author, editor, publisher, translator, whatever.

I meaning me. Not everyone. Not you.

Read meaning read. Not opine over or puff.

What I do for my reader and I do think and I mean think of one at a time not an audience or peers

is explain things to one for whom everything about my topic is new

with news for one to whom it all is old.

When I take a book on I plan to return as many as a dozen times all told over the next 20 years.

Nobody does that. I’m nobody. Who are you?

There is no money in it. I mean, it costs money but there is no connection between any post and revenue

and the spread of topics and what I think sure looks like deliberate antagonism to any particular constituency.

There is no prestige. I think that stuff is really bad, and bad for you.

There is no authority, ditto. What we do here is read.

This is the fourth Viet Nam letter of 5 so far from the janitor about our work. The first posted on February 9, 2022, the second on May 14, 2022, and the third on August 17, 2022. The fifth posted on April 11, 2023.

Viet Nam letters respects the property of others under paragraph 107 of United States Code Title 17. If we asked for permission it wouldn’t be criticism. We explain our fair use at length in the letter of September 12, 2022.

The colophon of these Viet Nam letters, directly above, shows the janitor speaking with poet David A. Willson on a Veterans Day.