Blake Butler on Obsession and the Unholy Sacredness of Time

<p>We talk about <em>The Consume</em>r by Michael Gira, insomnia, Penny’s notebook from Inspector Gadget, internet gods and demons, forbidden books, courting insane energy, the enduring low cost appeal of text, childhood portals, The Bachelor and Blake’s relentless drive to write.&nbsp;</p> <p>Blake Butler is the author of seven book-length works, including <em>Alice Knott</em> (Riverhead), &nbsp;<em>300,000,000</em> (Harper Perennial), <em>Sky Saw</em>&nbsp;(Tyrant Books), <em>There is No Year</em>&nbsp;(Harper Perennial),&nbsp;<em>Scorch Atlas</em>&nbsp;(Featherproof Books),&nbsp;and <em>Ever</em>&nbsp;(Calamari Press),&nbsp;as well as the nonfictional <em>Nothing: A Portrait of Insomnia</em> (Harper Perennial). His short fiction, interviews, reviews, and essays have appeared widely, including in The Believer, The New York Times, Bomb, Bookforum, and as an ongoing column at Vice. He is a founding editor of HTMLGIANT&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://thevolta.org/im-bbutler.html" target="_blank"><strong>Molly by Blake Butler</strong></a></p> <p>“A mastermind and visionary.”&nbsp;—<strong>Ben Marcus&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>“Our premier literary shaman.”&nbsp;—<strong>Alissa Nutting&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>“[Butler’s work is] wild but elegant and smart.”&nbsp;—<strong>Roxane Gay&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>Theme music by Joseph E. Martinez of Junius&nbsp;</p> <p>Follow us on social at: Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/WakeIslandPod" target="_blank">@WakeIslandPod&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</a></p> <p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wakeislandpod/" target="_blank">@wakeislandpod</a></p> --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wake-island/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/wake-island/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/wake-island/support</a>