Io Ti Chiamerò Russell

1. Io Ti Chiamerò Russell By Guglielmo Meriggi and Karen Miranda

2. Genre and Style • Mystery Novel Frequently changes narrator in the story Descriptive Written in 2001/2002 Sections written by Wu Ming 2

3. Chapter 1 - Lives of Russell by Wu Ming • Jessie, Biotechnic researcher • Havana, Well known dog owner • Harold, Mormon • Mitch, Post office worker • Bob, Veterinarian • No name, GreenPeace Volunteer • Joseph Laughton, Soldier stationed in Japan • Russell, CIA agent and works for the Secret Epidemic Service

4. Chapter 1 (cont.) Starts with Russell as narrator He worked at the center of Infectious Diseases in 1980 and was trained as an EIS agent. He secretly works with the Secret Epidemic Service under the wing of the CIA. The story changes to third person We meet six people who are having a meeting at exactly 5:00; Otaru, Murray, Andrea De Jong, Gemayel, Blanco, and Demirel. Otaru dies for seemingly no reason while he is in the hall on the phone at 5:04.

5. Chapter 2 by Andrea Labbate We meet Jaap Deruyter and the chapter starts from his point of view. Otaru Inc. had an explosion that released chemicals and killed 48 workers. Otaru asks Jaap to call him at exactly 5:04

6. Chapter 3 by Guglielmo Pispisa Someone still remembers everything that happened on the day of the incident and talks about it with an American. The chapter begins from this person's point of view. Jaap calls Otaru at 5:03. The story now switches to his point of view. The story switches to Russell. Russell goes to Tokyo right away and prepares to impersonate an american officer named Laughton. He meets with the survivor of the incident at a bar. He believes that this man could be his apprentice and names him Toshiro Yukima.

7. Chapter 4 by Jadel Starts with Andrea’s point of view. Andrea De Jong starts coughing while in a taxi, she is headed to Mukojima. Switches to Russell. A dead man named Demirel Faust was found at 5:12, he had similar symptoms to the dead in the explosion. It seems Toshiro is suffering from the same illness. Laughton seems to be paranoid about the disease. Switches to third person. Otaru’s funeral is described. Loughton meets Fujiku. Switches to Gemayel. People seem to be getting sick everywhere, Andrea is missing.

8. Chapter 5 by Wu Ming Told from Russell’s point of view Fujiko is meeting with Laughton, but is in a rush because she has a doctors appointment soon He blackmails her Feeling that Toshiro is using him (and not the other way around) Mikio wants revenge for what Oturo did, especially on Deruyter, “il piu schifoso di tutti, un infame mercante di schiavi”.

9. Chapter 6 by Patrizia Battista Fujiko is in Russell’s apartment, he is showing her a video Changes to Fujiko’s point of view Andrea calls her and they talk about Laughton Mikio was the only worker out of the 50 that was vaccinated (why he survived the accident) Plan on killing Gemayel with the same disease

10. Chapter 6 (cont.) The accident was really an experiment to see if the drug would work. “Era costato un po’ di morti ma non c'è nulla come la sperimentazione in “vivo” per accreditare un farmaco Last vial is for Russell Ends with another switch back to Russell’s point of view He goes to the warehouse where he sees Toshiro, skin cleared, levitating and sitting in the lotus position in a purple cloud

11. Chapter 7 by Guglielmo Pispisa Russell starts feeling bad, realizes that he has been ‘drugged’ Jaap goes to ‘save’ Gemayel Toshiro’s point of view talking about what he did and why Change to Fujiko’s storyline She receives a call from Jaap

12. Chapter 8 by Aldo Soliani Jaap calls Fujiko to tell blackmail her as well Tells her that he knows about her and Andrea’s plan and has saved Gemayel Jaap arrives at the warehouse where Toshiro is staying Toshiro had called him that morning to set up a meeting to give him “interesting information” Jaap sees Toshiro “floating” as well. Russell is unconscious on the floor next to him. Toshiro offers him tea and tells him that the Kami have ordered him to die. Now.

13. Chapter 9 by Wu Ming “Havana” wakes up and orders Conan to attack Jaap Realizes he has lost his free will and is under the control of the Kami, but he still has a little self awareness. • “Per fortuna, uno straccio di satori si fa strada tra neuroni infetti.” Gemayel comes into the warehouse and seeing what happened to Jaap and turns to leave. Before he gets away, Conan attacks him too. • “Telecomandato anche lui. Mitchell shoots Conan.

14. Chapter 9 (cont.) Switch to Fujiko (Andrea not answering her phone) Back to Russell Toshiro tells him what really happened • he wasn’t vaccinated after all • Got the vaccine and drug from Fujiko • Supposed to kill Jaap Point of view of the Kami (3rd plot twist revealed) “Una storia così contorta non si può uccidere con un finale. Dimenerebbe la coda come un’anguilla. Per quanto ci riguarda, abbiamo deciso do no sparare

15. Chapter 10 - Alternate ending by Guglielmo Pispisa Told by Toshiro’s point of view. Everything was a set-up, the explosion and Russell included. Toshiro is telling Russell why everything happened. Switches to Russell. He can’t manage to kill Toshiro.

16. Our Thoughts Guglielmo This felt like it was missing a few pieces, while it was a good read some parts of it had inconsistencies and didn’t seem to matter. While it was an interesting story the end felt incomplete. Karen • The chapters felt a little disconnected from each other and like they were more concerned with “shock value” than driving the plot forward.

17. Is this really a collective work? • Chapters identified by the people who wrote them • Story doesn’t seem to flow • Mini works vs. one whole piece

18. Review I say “in a way” successfully because the beginning is good, but later on the story gets lost, confuses itself and moves around a lot. An experiment that wasn’t completely successful, but that exemplifies the spirit of the research and of new narrative writing style that the anonymous Bolognese collective has been used to for a long time with a certain consistency. Non ero a conoscenza dell’esistenza di questo romanzo, pur seguendo da tempo Wu Ming. Il giorno in cui mi sono iscritto alla biblioteca nel paesello della mia nuova residenza l’ho trovato curiosando nello scaffale Giovani autori grandi.(?!?!) L’idea è nata in rete, come concorso, dal sito di Wu Ming appunto, aperta a lettori e scrittori. WM ha lanciato una traccia col primo capitolo e in modo più o meno riuscito, altri autori hanno dato la loro angolazione della storia costruendo un romanzo a più mani, con più alternative, una specie di Sliding doors, al cubo. Dicevo ‘in modo più o meno riuscito’ perchè l’inizio è buono ma poi il racconto si perde un pò e si fa confuso, poco scorrevole. Esperimento non del tutto riuscito ma che segnala lo spirito di ricerca e di nuove vie narrative che il collettivo anonimo bolognese ci sta abituando da lungo tempo con una certa costanza. https://wordlab1.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/ti-chiamero-russell-⎢-wu-ming-1/