Remembrance of News Past
In the news over the last week: Google's crushed dreams; Oprah's misguided fascination with poetry; Laura Miller on the cure for writer's block; a rally against evil publishers; a self-published millionaire goes traditional; ancient graffiti; and a posthumous Bolaño essay.
Drawing out the Truth: Creative Nonfiction as Comic
In Syncopated: an Anthology of Nonfiction Picto-Essays (Villard, 2009), editor Brendan Burford seeks to expand the dialogue that works like Maus have begun. Within this large-format collection, Burford has assembled an ambitious collection of comics-as-essay ranging from personal narrative, to biography, to literary journalism and more.
Literary Scraps for the Overburdened Reader
Roland Barthes on writing; why writers abandon novels; the importance of rhythm in prose; a new set of rules for writers; and the continuing adventures of the late David Foster Wallace.
Death with Interruptions: A Glimpse of the Literary Philosopher
In an unnamed European country, the first day of the new year is cause for both alarm and celebration. It is the first day in that country’s history that passes without a death.
Sexism in Publishing: It’s About More Than Just Numbers
Ladies and gentlemen, there’s a tangible wave sweeping through publishing. Dare I say, it’s a veritable movement.
Lost and Found: Adolescent Obsession in Hannah Pittard’s Debut Novel
Comparisons to Jeffrey Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides are unavoidable and complimentary: here, too, is a Greek-style chorus of boys grown to men, as well as their obsession with a female classmate and the reconstruction of a life from supposition.
The War Against Cliché: What We Can Learn from Martin Amis
Chess, football, even famous writers. Martin Amis can write about anything.
The Tin Drum: A Startling Vision of WWII
In this first and famous novel by Nobel laureate Günter Grass, the horrors of Nazi Germany are transformed into beauty and magic.
This Week in Books
The rise of Wallace studies; Nabokov on cover design; Newberry Award winner; what makes bad prose; Holden Caulfield lives well into sixties; and Michael Chabon on censoring bedtime reading.
Chronic City: Jonathan Lethem’s Questionable View of Manhattan
Ray Larsen gives us a review of Jonathan Lethem's 2009 novel.
The World that Never Sleeps
This week in all things literary: Junot Diaz and Dave Eggers in conversation; an indictment of Amazon.com; Michael Chabon on his aborted novel; and an expensive book deal with everyone's favorite hero/villain.
Subtle Adventures in Nihilism