The Texas Observer Short Story Contest 2014 The Texas Observer has announced its short story contest. Entrants need not live in Texas (although stories with a Texas setting or theme are encouraged). The winner will receive $1,000 and publication in the magazine. This year’s judge is author Elizabeth McCracken. Click the link above for more […]
Vroom, Vroom, Hmmmm: Motorcycles As Literary Metaphor Confession time: I’ve only made it half way through Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. I keep the book on my shelf because I fully intend, someday, to finish it off. And so this report intrigued me: In literature, motorcycles — and the people
During a recent book group discussion of John Updike’s novel Rabbit, Run, someone said, “I don’t particularly like any of the characters in this book.” I had to admit that I agreed with this assessment, but that truth doesn’t affect my appreciation of the book. This seemingly casual reference to not liking fictional characters
Must We Like Fictional Characters? Read More »
Because I am currently in the process of leaving my heart in San Francisco, this week’s Monday Miscellany is short. 10 of the Best Independent Bookstores Across the U.S. Barnes & Noble will always be there with a stack of bestsellers, and Half Price Books is likely to have the novel you’re looking for in
Daniel Keyes, the author of “Flowers for Algernon,” the story of a man with an I.Q. of 68 who temporarily becomes a genius after surgery — a book that inspired the film “Charly,” starring Cliff Robertson — died on Sunday at his home in South Florida. He was 86. via Daniel Keyes, a Novelist of
Daniel Keyes, a Novelist of the Mind, Dies at 86 – NYTimes.com Read More »
Anthony Burgess on James Joyce: the lost introduction Written in 1986 as the introduction to a Dolmen Press edition of ‘Dubliners’ illustrated by Louis le Brocquy, but never used, this brilliant essay, recently found among the papers of the author, who died in 1993, appears here for the first time Happy Bloomsday! (June 16, the
THE STARS OF THESE YOUNG ADULT BOOKS SWEAR, STRUGGLE, AND GENERALLY ACT LIKE REAL TEENS In the new novel Aspen by Rebekah Crane, the teenage title character is an awkward, artsy kid who gets into a car accident that kills the most popular girl at school. The book traces the bizarre fallout in her Boulder,
Death of Maya Angelou The biggest story of the literary world this past week has been the death of Maya Angelou at age 86. The coverage has been extensive, but here are a few stories I’ve chosen as providing a good overview of her influence and significance: Maya Angelou: The essential reading list From USA
Legendary author Maya Angelou dies at age 86 – CNN.com. Sad news this morning
Legendary author Maya Angelou dies at age 86 Read More »
When the Water’s Too Cold, Something Else to Dive Into: A Critic’s Survey of Summer Books As for this summer’s brand-new reading, if there’s one overriding motif, it’s this: the crazier, the better. Here’s a whole long list of recommended summer reading. Norman Mailer’s A Fire on the Moon: a giant leap for reportage On the
