Performance creator Tim Youd adheres to two principles while retyping novels for his “100 Novels Project.” Principle No. 1: He must utilize the identical brand and type of typewriter that the author originally employed. Thankfully for Youd, he possesses 100 typewriters in his California workshop and shares a close bond with the leading typewriter historian in the world.
And Principle No. 2: He must retype the novels at a notable site — the Chicago stockyards for “The Jungle,” William Faulkner’s front yard for “The Sound and the Fury,” St. Louis’ Bellefontaine Cemetery for “Naked Lunch.”
And now KWUR, the student radio station of WashU, for “The Dick Gibson Show,” Stanley Elkin’s risqué classic regarding a late-night DJ.
From Sunday, April 13, through May 1, Youd will present the overnight program “Up All Night on KWUR with Tim Youd,” typing, word for word, Elkin’s 1971 novel on a singular sheet of paper. The live broadcast will also include audio recordings of Elkin reading from his books, along with Youd’s discussions with esteemed artists, authors, and critics. Among the guests will be Richard Polt, the typewriter historian who determined that Elkin utilized a Royal typewriter; Molly Elkin, a labor attorney and daughter of Stanley and Joan Elkin; and Joel Minor, WashU Libraries curator of the Modern Literature Collection and manuscripts, housing the recently completed Stanley Elkin Papers.
Youd’s performance will be broadcasted on KWUR; he will also share his interview on his website. “Up All Night” coincides with the WashU Libraries exhibition “Stanley and Joan Elkin’s Artistic Kingdom.” Stanley Elkin taught in the Department of English in Arts & Sciences from 1960 until his passing in 1995.
‘Up All Night on KWUR with Tim Youd’
When: 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays; 11 p.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays, and 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Saturdays until May 1.
Where: KWUR 90.3 FM
More info: Up All Night with Tim Youd
Here, Youd discusses the origin of this unique initiative, his admiration for Stanley Elkin’s works, and how he intends to remain awake all night.
This will be the 84th novel in your series. What motivates you to do this?
The fundamental reason is compulsion. I’ve always loved reading. My journey as an artist began elsewhere. I worked on Wall Street and then moved to L.A. to produce films and create commercials. However, I found myself deeply dissatisfied. I kept asking, ‘Will I continue doing this indefinitely?’ As a child, I constantly created art, which brought me joy, so I resolved to return to it. Even before art, reading held a special place in my life, and I realized it could transport me. Eventually, I connected the concepts. It became clear, ‘Wow, I can merge art and reading, with reading serving as the artwork.’
The outcomes of your work are these intriguing diptychs, crinkled and ink-saturated, reminiscent of an open book. What captures your interest about text?
When we engage with a book, a biochemical reaction occurs within us. Reading alters our brains. It’s akin to a stain on our minds; the cells undergo slight changes, creating texture. I view my diptychs as a representation of what happens cognitively when we read. All the words coexist, layered atop one another, similar to how pages stack in our minds. The accumulation of words continues — not merely one book, but thousands we encounter throughout our existence.
This book brought Elkin recognition, and critics attribute its foresight in anticipating talk radio and the internet. Nevertheless, it isn’t widely read today. What drew you to it?
I was fortunate to secure a show at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis in 2018, which prompted me to explore St. Louis authors, and Elkin emerged for me. I read ‘The Franchiser’ and adored it. It resonated profoundly with me, capturing that cynical yet humorous perspective on life which many entrepreneurs adopt to rationalize rising each day. He absolutely captured that sentiment. I found myself typing ‘The Franchiser’ for that campus event in Duncker Hall (the long-time home of the WashU English Department). Over the years, I became a significant admirer of Elkin and held onto the notion that it would be exceptional to perform ‘The Dick Gibson Show’ on a radio station in the Midwest.
Being on air for up to seven hours every night sounds daunting. How do you plan to manage it?
I did attempt an all-night retyping session relatively early on in the project, but it was simpler back then at 45 than it is now at 57. The initial nights are likely to be quite challenging. I anticipate feeling like a zombie when I am not typing.
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