COLUMBO: So, Miss Anna, you own many books! And many gimmick books, I think?
ANNA: Just so, Columbo.
C: And who do you 'stan' most, do you think?
A: Obviously G-- (I stop.) But no, I'm afraid I couldn't say.
ANNA: Just so, Columbo.
C: And who do you 'stan' most, do you think?
A: Obviously G-- (I stop.) But no, I'm afraid I couldn't say.
C: I'm just an old man. I only buy pulps and comics. Uncanny, Batman, and so on. But my gal, Mrs Columbo, Kathy, my gal is young and smart like you. Kathy cannot stop buying ... how do you say ... ooo-li-pooo?
A: (Feeling smug.) It's 'oulipo,' Columbo.
A: (Feeling smug.) It's 'oulipo,' Columbo.
C: Ah! Oulipo, right, that's what my gal calls it. I should go now.
A: You know how to find my door.
A: You know how to find my door.
C: But alas, a final parting thought! Miss Anna, do you, hmm, parlay in francais?
A: No, only translations.
C: But look! Why do you own La Disparition only as an original?
(Columbo points to a spot with a missing book. It's a spot for A Void, which I hit my victim with to kill him. I'm caught! My alibi is moot. My hands bloody, my gun smoking. My infraction found out by Columbo!)
(Columbo points to a spot with a missing book. It's a spot for A Void, which I hit my victim with to kill him. I'm caught! My alibi is moot. My hands bloody, my gun smoking. My infraction found out by Columbo!)
one last thing...
ReplyDeleteWith all the rules and playfulness, Oulipo seems a like good fit for TTRPGs, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteThere's an article in Imagine 22 (Jan 1985--the Michael Moorcock special) on the history of Fighting Fantasy / CYOA gamebooks that namechecks Raymond Queneau (and someone has apparently done a digital version of "A Story, as You Like It," here -- https://www.thing.de/projekte/7:9%23/queneau_1.html ).* I wish I'd read that Imagine article earlier than I did.
And, as soon as I clapped eyes on it, Perec's "An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris" reminded me of urban random encounter tables.
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* I say, "Apparently," because I have no idea how faithful it is.
Oops! One more link that might be of interest:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/culture/45670/the-oulipo-of-the-1980s-why-its-time-to-reappraise-the-humble-choose-your-own-adventure-book
My pleasure! Thanks for blogging! :^)
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