The End of the Story by Lydia Davis

Tao Lin & Brandon Scott Gorrell

12:31 AM

 Brandon: i want to watch people gmail chat, that have good conversations, like you and gene

12:32 AM

 i would like to watch a whole gmail chat

  i would watch it while i fell asleep

  if it was on youtube

 me: that soudns good

  i want to film one once 

 Brandon: good job with that 

 me: close up 

 Brandon: close up?

  explain 

 me: so it is big

  the words

12:33 AM

 and only shows the words 

 Brandon: just the box

  yeah

  melville

  do it

  there is a way to record what happens on your screen 

 me: you told me about this 

 Brandon: i know from the time when i played CS

  a computer game

  this is something different

  people would make movies out of scenes from the game

12:34 AM

 and they would stage things in the game to go along with their plot 

 me: i mean with a video camera 

 Brandon: they did it with a program 

 me: so it only shows the part where the new line comes up

  on gmail chat 

 Brandon: no use of camera necissary

  hm

  yes okay

  that sounds good too 

12:35 AM

 me: my new novel is like 50% gmail chats

  from real gmail chats 

 Brandon: i feel 'lost' in sarcasm

  or 'crippled' by it

  im serious 

 me: i felt that way sometimes

12:36 AM

 does it efel bad 

 Brandon: i cant write anything without thinking 'im writing something'

  it just stops me from writing

  because i feel dumb

  and if i edit, i only think about it sarcastically 

 me: ill send you 'the end of the story'

  soon 

 Brandon: which makes me not interested 

 me: what have you been doing then 

 Brandon: is this what it is about? i read the deb olin interview

  i dont know 

 me: is what what it is about 

 Brandon: i have written

12:37 AM

 only felt bad about everything i wrote, for example the dicey brown story, i read and feel nothing at all 

 me: i like it

  you said 'is this what it is about?'

  what are you talking about 

 Brandon: i meant, is the davis story similar to this conversation

  davis novel 

12:38 AM

 me: no 

 Brandon: is that why you brought it up, i was wondering

  ok 

 me: no

  i dont know 

 Brandon: ok

  sarcasm is killing all actions 

 me: it is about she having a relationship with someone 

 Brandon: its bad 

 me: and then it also includes her trying to write the novel about it

  you are just having a sarcastic day or week 

 Brandon: that seems good

12:39 AM

 3 or 4 days

  i wrote something and gave it to blake for LC but said 'i will edit it more', he read it and said, yes good i want it, but now i read it and feel nothing and edit only so it appears good

  the sarcasm is taking over

12:40 AM

 i cant do anyhting 

 me: after this you will be changed

  the sarcasm will change you 

 Brandon: i need to figure something ouit

  yes 

 me: at least then you will be more original than other people

  and interesting 

 Brandon: something needs to change

  yes 

 me: you are becoming more original

  by experiencing things that are abnormal

  to most people 

 Brandon: i think this is the way things are going

  but

  its like a 'test'

12:41 AM

 and then this is viewed with sarcasm

  because other people have done this thing

  the whole thing is a cliche

  i feel trapped

12:42 AM

 i feel like my sarcasm is too intense

  i would like to watch this gmail chat 

 me: other people havent' done this thing 

 Brandon: im not sure 

 me: who has 

12:43 AM

 Brandon: test,

  i dont know who has 

 me: no one has

  we will have gmail chats

  once a week

  and record it

  i will record it with my camera 

 Brandon: haha 

 me: brandon and tao gmail chat ../088

  youtube 

12:44 AM

 Brandon: okay 
 

 me: youtube account called gmail chat

  gmailchat 

 Brandon: do you have a camera? 

 me: i just got an idea

  yes 

 Brandon: didnt you say you were buying one on ebay 

 me: i just need to buy minidiscs

  i got one from someone

  a literary magazine called GMAIL CHAT

  take submissions of gmail chats 

 Brandon: DVRs? 

 me: dvr, i dont know 

 Brandon: yes

  that sounds good 

12:45 AM

 me: i got another idea a few days ago 

 Brandon: that should be a sub thing of MUUMUU 

 me: a literary magazine caleld MAGIC EIGHTBALL

  a magic eightball is the editor

  and accepts things or doesn't 

 Brandon: haha

  hmm

  i dont know about that idea

  alot of shit might appear 

 me: terrible things dont get published though

  it would be funny to see something really horrible get published 

12:46 AM

 Brandon: so it would be novel 

 me: yes original 

 Brandon: hmm 

 me: today i was thinking about myself 

 Brandon: that sounds like a good promotion thing 

 me: and i thought i would like bad things to happen to me and to experience long periods of depression and loneliness because then i would become 'more original' or something

  i would like to feel more alienated

  i mean 

12:47 AM

 Brandon: have you started feeling unoriginal

  is that why 

 me: and then i thought that all i care about is things that are original 

 Brandon: yes 

 me: no, i was just thinking 

 Brandon: i agree 

 me: about boredom and excitement 

 Brandon: hm

  i feel the need to have 'my onw voice'

  i worry

  it consumes my being

  its like 40% of my brain 

12:48 AM

 me: i don't think about having my own voice i dont think 

 Brandon: that though

  t 

 me: when i think about my novel i just think about 

 Brandon: i feel too influenced by everything ive read 

 me: i dont even know what it hink about 

 Brandon: i need to go to the woods 

 me: i just think that if i work on it for long enough time it will be 'original' just because it will be such a concentrated form of one thing

  or something 

 Brandon: yes

  i think that is a good maxim 

12:49 AM

 me: maxim 

 Brandon: ive used maxim alot

  and never really known the meaning

  i just use it 

 me: i watched a documentary on scrabble players 

 Brandon: what was it called?

  i watched a documentary calle dwordpaly before 

 me: one person said he never had a real life. he said his routine now was waking up at night, playing a few games of scrabble, and then that was it 

 Brandon: wordplay 

 me: that was about puzzles or something

  word something

  word wars 

12:50 AM

 Brandon: crossword

  hmm

  heath ledger died and i read an interview

  no

  an article

  he was quoted as saying 'i feel like everything i do is the same'

  and i felt a strong empathy 

 me: haha

  haha he said that 

12:51 AM

 Brandon: yes in an article, i googled, i think 'heath ledger dead' 

 me: i keep thinking 'haha'

  i dont know 

 Brandon: is it the laughing or just that word

  i have thoughts

12:52 AM

 my thoughts havent changed for like a month

  my unemployed thoughts will be like a phase

  because they are all the same

 me: the word

 Brandon: and i think they will end

  the word 'haha' 

 me: my brain feels really empty a lot of the time now

  completely empty 

12:53 AM

 Brandon: whenever my brain feels empty, its not empty, it just says, this is boring, or, what should i do 

 me: then i read about it in lydia davis' book 

 Brandon: there is never something empty

  if its empty it says one of those two thoughts 

 me: yes empty is not the word

  i will type something from the book'

12:54 AM

 never mind

  i will type it later into a blog post 

 Brandon: did you send that yet

  no

  because you will type it

  nevermind

  thank you in the future for sending 

12:55 AM

 me: i have gotten a lot of rashes on my body that itch

  i feel senile 

 Brandon: last night i thought alot about blogging, and came to an idea that i will post alot more about inanimate objects like fruit and couches because no one can hate you for those 

 me: senile and asexual 

 Brandon: what, rashes, why 

 me: i dont know 

 Brandon: thats strange 

 me: people can still hate you 

12:56 AM

 Brandon: yes kind of 

 me: for your sentences 

 Brandon: but if you are always posting about nothing

  i dont know

  im afraid

  i hate blogging

  'fuck life' 

 me: people dont hate you if you just post a link

  one link

12:57 AM

 without commentary 

 Brandon: i have noticed a trend

  in your link posts you dont get comments

  in my link posts 

 me: yes

  in whose link posts

12:58 AM

 if i make a lot of links i dont get comments

  if i made a post saying why dave eggers sucks i would get a lot of comments

12:59 AM

 my novel goes from march, 2006 to march 2007, to now

  march 2008

  march, 2006, march 2007, march 2008 

1:00 AM

 Brandon: i dont know what you were saying i didnt get it 

 me: Brandon: i have noticed a trend 
in your link posts you dont get comments 
in my link posts 
me: yes 
in whose link posts 
if i make a lot of links i dont get comments 
if i made a post saying why dave eggers sucks i would get a lot of comments 
Sent at 12:58 AM

on Thursday 
me: my novel goes from march, 2006 to march 2007, to now 
march 2008 
march, 2006, march 2007, march 2008 

 Brandon: okay

  okay

1:01 AM

 march 2008 hasnt happened

  there are different levels though i think 

 me: i dont know where to end the novel 

 Brandon: of link posts

  just keep writing

  until an end is received 

 me: i have urges to just pusblish 'a piece of shit' but original in some way

1:02 AM

 like being original in talking about boring pointless things 

 Brandon: a piece of shit

  internet feels fucked right now

  yes but thats what my thing in dicey brown was 

 me: but not an entire novel 

 Brandon: thats all i feel i can do

1:03 AM

 thats all i want to do 

 me: that is good, it is original 

 Brandon: but im stopped because of the boring pointless thing 

 me: your story was original 

 Brandon: i could write a novel like that i AM

sure

  but i feel bad about it

  because its about nothing 

 me: you should do it 

 Brandon: just a person thats incredibly bored 

 me: that is good 

 Brandon: i dont know, i fear

1:04 AM

 a fear exists 

 me: you can write other novels later 

 Brandon: novel shits 

 me: did you see that girl again 

 Brandon: novels should be retitled 'novel shits'

  no, just the one time 

 me: i want to name my novel something original 

 Brandon: we talk on IM 

1:05 AM

 me: i dont know what 

 Brandon: i feel asinine

  i thought that while i saw you were typing 

 me: i feel asexual 

 Brandon: ill send you something 

 me: my crotch itches

1:06 AM

 from dry skin i think

  we should submit a gmail chat to blake butler

  his magazine 

 Brandon: this one

  okay

1:07 AM

 yes one gmail chat

  sounds good 

 me: okay

  read his blog

  it has some solicaition thing 

 Brandon: i already have one in his next issue 

 me: this chat is revealing 

 Brandon: he would take something from you too

  yes

  who should edit it 

 me: send him this

  i dont awnt to edit it 

 Brandon: you should because i already have something

  no i AM

already submitting something else 

 me: what do yuo mean

  edit 

 Brandon: it will be by tao lin 

 me: like change it 

1:08 AM

 Brandon: i dont know 

 me: this can be about 'the end of the story' by lydia davis 

 Brandon: put it in word doc

  i sent you the thing

  it has an endless series of sarcasm 

 me: it looks long 

 Brandon: i just qualified myself the entire time

  the whole thing is a qualification for even typing

  i dont kno

  w

  you submit

1:09 AM

 i have filled my LC space with the story 

 me: i dont know 

 Brandon: i dont know either 

 me: what did you submit

  i'm sending you a small paragraph from my novel 

 Brandon: a story about being alienated from the furniture in my room

  okay 

1:10 AM

 me: but that doesnt fit into what he posted

  he was soliciting for 

 Brandon: he asked for it yesterday, in the morning, before any post i saw, he asked for it in my comments section, and i sent it, and he said yes good i want it 

 me: i'm going to email him this. it 'feels' 'original', to do this 

 Brandon: okay good

  good. 

 me: i'm titing it

1:11 AM

 titling it 

 Brandon: titting 

 me: 'the end of the story, by lydia davis' 

 Brandon: haha

  that made me laugh 

 me: people will google that and find this

  i would rather read this

  than reviews

  i'm emailing now 

 Brandon: send tht

  that