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Jake Goldsmith

@jgoldsmith.bsky.social

59 followers 52 following 160 posts

Author. https://www.saggingmeniscus.com/authors/jake_goldsmith/ Contributing editor to Exacting Clam. Founder of The Barbellion Prize. https://www.jakegoldsmithauthor.com

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Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · Jul 26

In Extremis

Published 9th September 2025

@saggingmeniscus.bsky.social

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Reposted by Jake Goldsmith

Ian Hagues @ianhagues.bsky.social · 11h

@avecsesdoigts.bsky.social
@jgoldsmith.bsky.social
Some recent book post 📚💪

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Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 13h

This is true. We could also imagine the racist response from many news outlets who think there is now some sort of East Asian bias at the Swedish Academy...

Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 14h

There's no perfect solution anyway. We could award legitimately talented African and Asian authors for the next 50 years to redress past wrongs, but it would in a sense be an insult to everyone

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Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 14h

We could say forget all that, forget the schtick of a competitive prize, damn 'optics' and damn everything, but that's too easy (or rather too difficult). They shouldn't be afraid to award an American if (say) another American won last year, and they can still try to redress biases.

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Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 14h

Or Anglocentric. Pynchon is 88 and has been (understandably) tipped to win for years. He'd deserve it. But if it wasn't awarded to him because another man won last, this might redress a cultural prejudice but him not being awarded (& then dying) would be seen suspiciously, regardless of fair intent

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Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 14h

There are conflicting impulses: 1, to award who is best on merit alone, regardless of 'optics', and 2, to go to some length to not be so biased towards particular authors (say, awarding only Nordic writers). Yet as much as not being Eurocentric is a legitimate aim it becomes fraught...

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Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 1d

I'm really looking forward to this and I'm recommending everyone to watch the show (and read the book too).
Coincidentally I'm going out with a friend tomorrow to a board game night at a local bar. I'll be sure to recruit more to the cause

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Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 2d

I'm not waiting 35 years for ice cream. Ice cream might not exist in 35 years. Too warm.

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Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 2d

I have you as the strongest contender for the 2060 prize. Hopefully we will all still be around by then and the Nobel won't have debased itself into insignificance or frivolity by awarding rockstars or YouTube video essayists ...

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Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 2d

That is clearly a flying hare 🐰

Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 3d

I loved the quotes you shared from it earlier so I will probably pick it up

Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 3d

“Should we put the painting up on the wall?”

“No, let’s put it within the elaborate curtained wooden doohickey.”

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Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 4d

Nobels are normally given as a sort-of lifetime achievement award. So when Camus won in ‘57 some critics laughed (though of course they were jealous) as they could say he had hit his peak. Wait 30+ years and we can finally award you

Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 5d

It needs to be Pynchon just to be rude and ferret him out of hiding 🫣

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Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 5d

We know some things, terrible events or the inner workings of our private lives, are beyond the reach of art: whether they are great works of art or not.

Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 5d

Some experiences defy art. We shouldn’t be against portraying them necessarily, for moral reasons, but we are more inadequate than we think in representing them

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Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 5d

“…we watch television programs and we say: “Sorry, but it isn't it.” And when we are asked: “But what is it?”, we find ourselves unable to respond. What we really wish to say, what we feel we must say cannot be said.” — Elie Wiesel.

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Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 5d

Terribly gauche comparison, but I feel the same with war. “It cannot be ported into the representational mode.”
…

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Reposted by Jake Goldsmith

David Collard @davidcollard.bsky.social · 8d

I've just sent out several thousand emails with my October newsletter attached. Hundreds have bounced back as the file was too large. I sent a smaller file with the same results. So you can find a 'penny plain' version online here: davidjcollard.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-...
Thinking cap on.

The Glue Factory

The Glue Factory October newsletter This free monthly newsletter is to let you know about forthcoming events and/or publications involving...

davidjcollard.blogspot.com

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Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 12d

I've never seen a Parliament petition with that many signatures. When I signed it was over 800,000!

Considering that Reform are a likely next government, I shudder to think what they'd do with compulsory IDs...

Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 16d

We already have (or will have) our own organic homegrown demagogues in Europe making the same ridiculous claims, coming to a ballot box near you 🔜

Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 16d

We can laugh, but the authoritarian (anti-democratic, anti-constitutional, post-conservative, post-truth, etc) trend in the US is not an aberration or distortion, but a local expression of a global problem...

Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 16d

Lots of British people may not know what ‘tylenol’ is because it is an American brand.
The active ingredient in tylenol is paracetamol.
The American regime are now making a big song and dance over the fraudulent claim that ‘tylenol’ (paracetamol) causes autism…

Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 17d

Nor can I write anything after being told. I can only write selfishly and have to do so immediately as the inspiration is fresh, and often in distress. I would prefer this not to be the case and to write less impulsively

Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 17d

Not that you’re asking me, but I feel the same with essays. Fiction is a different beast that I prefer to leave to others. The impetus to write is hurried. I’m not sure how I would do given space and time at some retreat or something. I don’t recommended being so hurried but it’s my way at least

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