Doris Lessing won the Nobel Prize for Literature today. You can read the Reuters story about it here and the New York Times piece here. The Times piece has a great photo of her sitting on her front steps in London, surrounded by reporters. She was apparently out shopping when it was announced, and learned […]
The infamous Nan Talese comments about Oprah are now available for your viewing pleasure here. She didn’t even talk for that long, but I guess people don’t usually diss Oprah, hence the whole world is now weighing in, once again, on the brouhaha. Here’s my own personal opinion (I know you were waiting for it). […]
I’m more than halfway through reading Tied to the Tracks by Rosina Lippi. In general, I like the book. It kept me going on the treadmill for a lot longer than I originally intended (note to self: a good book is key to a good workout on the treadmill). The novel is kind of a […]
There’s an AP article this morning about the annual Book Expo starting in New York City tomorrow. Interesting to note is the fact that MySpace is not only attending for the first time this year, but is a sponsor also. The article notes the number of authors promoting themselves on MySpace and also discusses the […]
There’s an interesting article in the New York Times about the non-science of bestsellers. Read it here. The answer to the question of what makes a bestseller is that nobody knows.
Just got back from an overnight trip to Seattle and spent an hour at Elliott Bay Books this afternoon. I love this bookstore. It’s got amber-colored worn wood floors, all these intriguing different levels reached by ramps and wood staircases, and, of course, books. One of the best things about the bookstore is all the […]
Just finished reading Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson. I liked it. Don’t throw fried green tomatoes at me, but sometimes the whole quirky southern fiction thing wears a wee bit thin. (Stop it! Stop pelting me! I went to school in the south! I teach down there!) This book had quirkiness galore but the main […]
Is it just me, or do there seem to be a lot of novels coming out about the Civil War these days? There’s a story on yahoo today about Robert Olmstead’s latest novel, called Coal Black Horse. You can read it here. Maybe its just that I am now noticing them. Until recently, they weren’t […]
Damn. If a 96-year-old can do it, surely I can? Read about it here.
Elizabeth Hand is a wonderful author, her prose other-worldly and lush. Elizabeth Hand uses the word crepuscular. I love the word crepuscular. I actually associate the word with her, because I’m quite sure I first read it in one of her books. It’s the kind of word she uses a lot, with great authority. And […]
