I’ve been surprised at how easily I have slipped into the flow of reading it this time. I’ve read tons of Delany’s writing since then, but never made it back to finishing Dhalgren. I remember feeling that reading it was a chore, not without moments of pleasure, but certainly “difficult.” I made it about 2/3 of the way through, then left it and never came back to it. I’m pretty sure I bought this tattered yellowing paperback that I have now from the Dawn Treader bookshop. I remember first trying to read Dhalgren back in 2001 when I was still living in Ann Arbor. (I am not on Twitter, and have no interest in joining it, not even for this.) There is a Goodreads group where you can find more information on the reading and how it works and participate in discussions there.

I have also been reading the tweets about it on Twitter under the hashtag #AutumnalCity. Now,for the past two days I have spent my train rides between Manhattan and Brooklyn reading the novel. I pulled the book out on my commute and starting reading. But on Monday I pulled my ragged paperback of Dhalgren off the shelf and put it in my backpack thinking I might get a chance to dig in to it at some point. I was intrigued by the plans for this Dhalgren reading but I didn’t think that I would have time to participate, what with several other deadlines bearing down on me. This appears to be an extension of the #OccupyGaddis social reading from this summer.

“Waiting here, away from the terrifying weaponry, out of the halls of vapor and light, beyond holland and into the hills, I have come to to wound the autumnal city.”Ī social reading of Dhalgren started up a few days ago and continues through November. Looping the last line of the novel back to the first line creates this sentence: It is the opening line from Delany’s epic science fiction novel Dhalgren (1975).

Delany fan I certainly recognized the title. I haven’t read that book, but as a Samuel R. A few years ago, I noticed a book published about Septemtitled To Wound the Autumnal City.

Dhalgren goodreads