We are not a serious people

This is the lead of a press release I got last week:

"October has turned into a dream month for novelist and filmmaker Ric Klass. On October 1, Arcade will publish his first novel, Excuse Me for Living. On October 12, the movie of the same name will debut featuring a remarkable group of character actors, including Christopher Lloyd, Jerry Stiller, and Dick Cavett."

Imagine such foolishness being written to promote an important book a hundred years ago, in 1912: "Thomas Mann is having a ball this fall! First, his book Death in Venice and Other Tales is coming out this month. And, his beloved Boston Red Sox just beat the New York Giants to win the World Series!"

Who would have cared about Thomas Mann's happiness? Thomas Mann, least of all. As he would say, "For the sake of goodness and love, man shall let death have no sovereignty over his thoughts."

I wonder if we'll find such lines in Excuse Me for Living. Oh, who cares, as long as a journeyman novelist is having a Rocktober.