The Feud Between Amazon, Hachette Publishing, and Readers Heats Up It’s difficult to keep up with all the nuances of this issue. Here are a couple of recent articles: Dispute Between Amazon and Hachette Takes an Orwellian Turn Maybe Amazon really is rattled by the whole Authors United phenomenon organized by Douglas Preston. The writers […]
Ranking Cormac McCarthy’s Greatest Books I’m a week behind with this, but I include it here because Cormac McCarthy is an author I haven’t yet worked on, and I’m glad to have the suggestions offered here: Trailing Philip Roth by a few months and Toni Morrison by two years, Cormac McCarthy (who turns 81 this
The Decline of Harper Lee — Vulture. Yesterday’s Monday Miscellany included a summary of the publication of a new book about Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, and Lee’s denial of cooperation on the book. This article paints a sad picture indeed. Having outlived most of her family and friends, Harper Lee, 88,
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A New Book About To Kill a Mockingbird Author Harper Lee? Last week saw the announcement of a new book about Harper Lee, The Mockingbird Next Door by Chicago Tribune reporter Marja Mills. USA Today explains how Mills obtained material about the notoriously reclusive and publicity-shy Lee: Mills was able to penetrate Lee’s wariness by
Could reading dark literature harm your teenage children? This isn’t a new question, but this answer is fairly well balanced, with discussion from scientists for both sides of the issue. Judy Blume: ’I thought, this is America: we don’t ban books. But then we did’ A delightful interview with Judy Blume, who has her own
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
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
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
Gillian Flynn: By the Book In this interview with The New York Times, the author of the wildly successful thriller Gone Girl reveals what books she’s currently reading, who is her all-time favorite novelist, what makes a great thriller, and how she’s faring with the self-imposed project of reading every Pulitzer Prize-winning novel in chronological order.
Literary legacy contributes to sense of community Here’s an article about one of the most famous authors you’ve probably never heard of: Harold Bell Wright was among the most popular American authors of his time, penning 19 novels — with 15 of them making their way to the silver screen. In 1930, The New York
