How Dennis Cooper Turns GIFs Into Fiction
Dennis Cooper lives in Paris, so, in order to discuss his latest work, which consists of sequences of GIFs—those moving-image files that were first created in 1987 and have evolved into a kind of online lexicon of reaction shots—we scheduled a Google Hangout, a form of instant messaging that allows, should one require it, the exchange of GIFs. I had drafted my questions beforehand, and Cooper responded with long, carefully phrased blocks of text. I frequently paused before a blinking ellipsis icon, which indicates that your correspondent is mid-response, perhaps thinking over his reply.