I haven't finished Murakami's newest book yet, but it is small, swift, and engrossing, like he mixed his style with, eh, Denis Johnson's short-fiction density.
Anyway, two years back when I was laid up on the couch I started many blogs. This particular forum is one of the results of that time, as is "Sherwood and Sons." I'm pretty sure if anyone knew about all of them it would be you.
There was one particular spot, though, that I don't think I told anybody about.
I started a Tumblr site in addition to all of the Blogger sites, but it was where I showcased new fiction.
One of the things about my Blogger-hosted blogs was that they are all non-fiction---either artsy discussions, observational motivations, adventure summations, or random brainal verbal diarrhea---but they were all certainly and purposefully NON-fiction.
My fiction was always too special for me to post for the world to consume for free.
But then...I was laid up on the couch and I had a brain bursting at the seams with things to say. I had a character and a setting and a rambling premise that could have, I thought at the time, been milked easily each week for a tiny bit more, getting towards my final goal. Actually, all that's still the case.
But that's beyond me at this current juncture.
As it is, there are only two chapters. There are specific references throughout both of them: the city, the hostel, the bar, the protagonist's name and look, the bartender...almost too much stuff.
Ask Dan about a little project we each wrote for together back in the day---it was part of the unspoken and mysterious background to the intrigue in the second chapter.
I stumbled upon the link and was reminded of the two parts the other day. I read through them for the first time in more than two years, and, well, I was mostly happily surprised.
I think if you get to them, you may like 'em.
So, here're the links for the first two chapters of "Searching for Daniel Traf:"
Chapter 1: Talking About His Hair
Chapter 2: Bike Accessible
