More from John Wilson’s review of A Farewell to Arfs, the new Chet and Bernie novel, in Friday’s Washington Examiner:
“You could say, to borrow a term from the great Viktor Shklovsky, leader of the gang known as “the Russian Formalists,” that Quinn defamiliarizes the role of the narrator. And this is both funny, something every devoted reader of the Chet & Bernie series relishes, but also noteworthy for that subset of Quinn’s readers who are particularly interested in the art of fiction.”
Below Viktor and me. Challenge of the day: Guess who’s who.
3 Comments on “Last of the Russian Formalists”
Good day to all.
Greetings!
No challenge…OFA is the one rocking that cool tie-dye shirt!
Good afternoon to all!
Reba: You’ve got mail.
Oh! It’s National Choose your Chocolate day! A day made for me.
Also National Cinnamon Raisin Bread day. A day made for my Mom.
Here locally, as in my house, it is Make Roasted Tomato Sauce day.
Roasted tomato sauce
18 ripe Roma tomatoes (halved and cored)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small yellow onion, diced or finely chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 TBSP Italian seasoning
2 TBSP fresh basil, finely chopped or 2 tsps dry basil
1 TBSP fresh oregano, chopped or 1 tsp dry oregano
1/8 – 1/4 cup Chianti wine
* Preheat oven to 300°F. Oil a baking pan with olive oil or spray with PAM olive oil.
* In a microwave-safe large measuring cup combine onion, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and chopped basil. Microwave for 30 seconds to infuse the garlic, onion and herbs into the oil.
* Add Chianti to the bowl and stir to combine. Chianti will help to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.
* Slice tomatoes lengthwise, core and remove seeds and liquid.
* Place the tomatoes cut side up on the baking sheet. Pour olive oil mixture evenly over all of them.
* Place tray on middle rack in oven. Cook for 1-2 hours. After slow roasting, your tomatoes will look slightly caramelized.
* Turn the oven up to 400°F and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to brown.
* Remove pan from oven and transfer tomatoes and pan juices if any to the bowl of a food processor. Process until tomato sauce is at your desired consistency. You may also put them in a bowl and use a stick blender.
Put in containers. Can be frozen for up to six months. In the refrigerator use within a week to 10 days.
For eggs in purgatory, use sauce to poach an egg in lieu of meatballs.