Defoe

Whether Scalapino's first work of long fiction is a reference to the father of the realist novel, a play on the word ``foe'' or simply an absurdity is anybody's guess. Scalapino will infuriate anti-intellectuals, those out for a ``good read'' and grammarians alike. Her prose-poetry (emphasis on poetry) is difficult and philosophically sophisticated, but ultimately rewarding for those willing to sing for their suppers. Described as an ``epic'' by the publisher, Defoe touches on recent epic events, such as the Los Angeles riots and the Vietnam War (though neither is identified by name). But its real mission is theoretical-an attempt to understand the nature of literality and what Scalapino calls ``event'' in a world of media hegemony, the power of context and the transformative possibilities of language. Drawing together the musicality of Beat poetry and the dreaminess of surrealism with the seriousness of deconstruction and the pithiness of aphorism, Scalapino's writing artfully conveys both clinical objectivity and quirky subjectivity (``The sky was a deep red...I was reading. I didn't like Aeneas.'') and questions basic premises about language. (Nov.)