2020: Articles about writers, writing and publishing
DiscussãoLiterary Snobs
Entre no LibraryThing para poder publicar.
2CliffBurns
William Gibson interview:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/09/books/review/william-gibson-by-the-book-inter...
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/09/books/review/william-gibson-by-the-book-inter...
4jldarden
Love this from Ballard in this interview; I think that fear of boredom explains a great deal of what's going on at present in the world. Our lives in the West, certainly, are becoming ever-more circumscribed. We're all deeply conventional, and hardly differ from one another in any vital sense. We're desperate for excitement of some kind. That's the drawback to living in an entertainment culture - the entertainment begins to pall after a while. It's like spending too long at a theme park, you begin to long to get out of it. And when you realise that there's nowhere to get out to, that it's all like this, that the theme park now circles the planet and that's all there is, that makes for desperation.
5CliffBurns
A documentary on bookselling and antiquarian books:
https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/the-booksellers-review-1203363104/
Fran Leibowitz, reminiscing about the same:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGGPkRO5UlY
(Thanks to Gord for finding this.)
https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/the-booksellers-review-1203363104/
Fran Leibowitz, reminiscing about the same:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGGPkRO5UlY
(Thanks to Gord for finding this.)
7CliffBurns
Good piece by George Packer--authors should NEVER allow themselves to be muzzled by popular opinion or vocal special interest groups:
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/01/packer-hitchens/605365
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/01/packer-hitchens/605365
8bluepiano
Well, not actually an article but it made me grin and it takes the mick: https://www.reddit.com/r/badliterature/comments/es9d1c/because_ulysses_takes_pla....
9iansales
>7 CliffBurns: Disagree. Artistic freedom is no excuse for writing something offensive, and an invalid defence against any kind of backlash. There are legitimate targets, certainly - the right, or religion, for example - but writing some TERFy piece of crap, or plagiarising a marginal voice's novel (like American Dirt), should definitely be condemned.
IOW, punching up is fine, punching down is not.
ETA: the only actual example in that article of a writer being silenced is someone whose book was not picked up by a publisher because it was racist. Not a good look.
IOW, punching up is fine, punching down is not.
ETA: the only actual example in that article of a writer being silenced is someone whose book was not picked up by a publisher because it was racist. Not a good look.
10Cecrow
>8 bluepiano:, >9 iansales:, I write amateurly, unpublished, and played with the idea of writing a fantasy novel in a Japanese medieval setting - ninjas, samurai, all that. I asked around for opinions and was told, just follow your artistic freedom prerogative. But I've discarded it, much as I loved the idea, when I thought of possible objections and realized I had no response to this one: "Explain why you've written a novel about white Europeans people dressed up in Japanese culture?" Unless I can represent Japanese culture authentically - and I've no background or experience to do that - I think I'd just be playing in someone else's backyard. They have a super awesome swing set, but I'd rather not get caught there.
11CliffBurns
#9--Can't agree, Ian. It's the work that matters, not the views and personal opinions of the artists creating it.
The sole question I ask is: is it good art or bad art?
Comedians are facing similar difficulties--I heard one say recently that half of America doesn't understand the concept of "irony". Same goes for "satire" and "hyperbole". Folks are so fucking literal-minded these days, their antennas always fully extended, looking for offense. Inventing terms of dismissal (yeah, like "TERF), fueling the "cancel culture".
Freedom of expression is paramount, everything else isn't nearly as critical.
As long as you aren't advocating violence against a group of people, you have a right to your opinions, however onerous they may be. I'll argue with you, seek to convince you of the error of your ways, but I will fight any attempt to silence you.
The sole question I ask is: is it good art or bad art?
Comedians are facing similar difficulties--I heard one say recently that half of America doesn't understand the concept of "irony". Same goes for "satire" and "hyperbole". Folks are so fucking literal-minded these days, their antennas always fully extended, looking for offense. Inventing terms of dismissal (yeah, like "TERF), fueling the "cancel culture".
Freedom of expression is paramount, everything else isn't nearly as critical.
As long as you aren't advocating violence against a group of people, you have a right to your opinions, however onerous they may be. I'll argue with you, seek to convince you of the error of your ways, but I will fight any attempt to silence you.
12CliffBurns
I posted the George Packer quote on a different thread but it's particularly appropriate here:
"The writer’s job will always remain the same: to master the rigors of the craft; to embrace complexity while holding fast to simple principles; to stand alone if need be; to tell the truth."
"The writer’s job will always remain the same: to master the rigors of the craft; to embrace complexity while holding fast to simple principles; to stand alone if need be; to tell the truth."
13Cecrow
I'm a former Cliff who became an Ian, so I think I can see both sides of this equation.
On the one hand: It's stifling to creativity, to start worrying about how will what I create be perceived. Write for yourself first, that's a big rule for not stemming the tide. And if you're dipping into exploring other cultures, where is the line to be drawn? I've never been British or lived in England, but if I write about knights and castles, nobody is going to cry foul. So if I write about samurai and shoguns, what's the difference? I'm making up the details either way, both are grounded in real world history, so what difference does it make which part of the world that history comes from? In a way, I could argue I'm doing a service by raising the profile of that other less-explored-in-Western-literature culture. I'm a fan of it, I admire it, all my feelings towards it are positive. I'm going to portray it has some villains of course, but I'll be as fair about it as I would in any other setting.
On the other hand (where I rest now): try this metaphor. You're at an AA meeting. You've talked to the guy on your left before the meeting, he's told you his background. Everyone gets asked to share their story. You found his story really compelling, and before he can open his mouth you leap in and tell his story for him. You're empathic, you dress it up creatively, you know how to win the sympathy of your listeners for the guy. Embellish here, emphasize there. You do a good job of it (it's good art). You've done him a favour, so why all these cloudy looks? And try taking it a degree further: you're white, he's black, and his story includes racism which you've heard about a million times and empathize with but never experienced the likes of yourself.
On the one hand: It's stifling to creativity, to start worrying about how will what I create be perceived. Write for yourself first, that's a big rule for not stemming the tide. And if you're dipping into exploring other cultures, where is the line to be drawn? I've never been British or lived in England, but if I write about knights and castles, nobody is going to cry foul. So if I write about samurai and shoguns, what's the difference? I'm making up the details either way, both are grounded in real world history, so what difference does it make which part of the world that history comes from? In a way, I could argue I'm doing a service by raising the profile of that other less-explored-in-Western-literature culture. I'm a fan of it, I admire it, all my feelings towards it are positive. I'm going to portray it has some villains of course, but I'll be as fair about it as I would in any other setting.
On the other hand (where I rest now): try this metaphor. You're at an AA meeting. You've talked to the guy on your left before the meeting, he's told you his background. Everyone gets asked to share their story. You found his story really compelling, and before he can open his mouth you leap in and tell his story for him. You're empathic, you dress it up creatively, you know how to win the sympathy of your listeners for the guy. Embellish here, emphasize there. You do a good job of it (it's good art). You've done him a favour, so why all these cloudy looks? And try taking it a degree further: you're white, he's black, and his story includes racism which you've heard about a million times and empathize with but never experienced the likes of yourself.
15Cecrow
>14 CliffBurns:, For me, comedy largely sits outside the argument. The comedian doesn't attempt to be an authentic voice and representative for another culture or perspective other than his/her own, except in caricature. It trades in irony and misdirection, is sometimes quoted out of context, and I buy those defences.
One of these, I don't buy: the self-pity argument, the idea that "triggers" are an invented concept by people with low self-esteem. They are a real concept to describe the shocks of vile memory that a person can be unexpectedly confronted with by an unanticipated reference, when they came to be entertained. This is related to the critique that "I read for escapism; this is too much real world problems, I just want to relax when I read." If you relate to that, you must be able to understand a more extreme version. The request is for a fair trigger warning, a fair heads-up, as you might inform someone susceptible to strobe lights. Lack of warning, especially in an educational setting where the exposure is basically enforced, is at best insensitive.
Some comedians you know to approach cautiously if you're sensitive, e.g. Ricky Gervais, by reputation, if you've done any homework. I'd be right there defending him with you; but giving an honest answer about his content to anyone sensitive who asks if he puts on a good show: "I personally find him hilarious, but you should know going in that …"
Of course I'm amused by this video comment: "What is tolerance, dad? Well, son, it is like this. if you are dairy intolerant, you avoid dairy products. You don't go around and beat cows to death." But what if you can't recognize a dairy product, is the issue. You label it as such. Problem solved, both sides are happy.
One of these, I don't buy: the self-pity argument, the idea that "triggers" are an invented concept by people with low self-esteem. They are a real concept to describe the shocks of vile memory that a person can be unexpectedly confronted with by an unanticipated reference, when they came to be entertained. This is related to the critique that "I read for escapism; this is too much real world problems, I just want to relax when I read." If you relate to that, you must be able to understand a more extreme version. The request is for a fair trigger warning, a fair heads-up, as you might inform someone susceptible to strobe lights. Lack of warning, especially in an educational setting where the exposure is basically enforced, is at best insensitive.
Some comedians you know to approach cautiously if you're sensitive, e.g. Ricky Gervais, by reputation, if you've done any homework. I'd be right there defending him with you; but giving an honest answer about his content to anyone sensitive who asks if he puts on a good show: "I personally find him hilarious, but you should know going in that …"
Of course I'm amused by this video comment: "What is tolerance, dad? Well, son, it is like this. if you are dairy intolerant, you avoid dairy products. You don't go around and beat cows to death." But what if you can't recognize a dairy product, is the issue. You label it as such. Problem solved, both sides are happy.
16iansales
>11 CliffBurns: No art is created in a vacuum, no art is consumed in a vacuum. The personal opinions and sensibilities of the artist are by definition embedded in a work of art, to a greater or lesser extent. A racist is going to use racist stereotypes when depicting non-white characters, for example. On the other hand, space opera is an inherently fascist genre, so no matter what the politics of the writer, whatever they write will be no different to anything written by a fascist - and consumed as such in today's political climate, unlike 40 or 50 years ago.
The quality of the art - and the definition of that changes as sensibilities change - is irrelevant. A work of great beauty and profundity can be just as offensive as a populist work. The poems of Ezra Pound, for example, or the stories of Lovecraft, are very much informed by their politics and beliefs. The fact that both are now dead and so cannot directly benefit from me consuming their art is the only reason I read them. But I won't read Orson Scott Card, Dan Simmons or Frank Miller because I find their views, some of which are explicitly presented in their fiction, extremely offensive.
Freedom of expression is just another term for freedom of speech, and it's a canard. Legally, it means your government cannot silence you - but, of course, they'll find other ways to do that. It is also the last defence of hate speechers. As Karl Popper said, you do not have to tolerate intolerance. Whenever someone throws around the phrase "freedom of speech", it's usually because they have said, or are about to say, something offensive. (Not, I hasten to add, that this applies to you, Cliff, in your comment above.)
Also, it's not just "advocating violence against a group of people", it's also denying them a right to their existence, denying them their experience, insisting that your concerns and sensibilities are more valid and more important (and so must be privileged, or even protected) than theirs...
>10 Cecrow: >15 Cecrow: Writing outside your own experience is still perfectly acceptable, you just need to do a good job of it. #ownvoices is not intended to stop people from writing outside their own experience, it's more to promote people who are writing from within marginalised communities. It can backfire - and has done, especially in YA, which is, to be honest, pretty toxic these days. A Chinese diaspora author withdrew her novel after accusations its depiction of slavery was offensive to African-Americans when in fact the novel was about indentured labour in China and the East. Huh.
Apologies for the long post.
The quality of the art - and the definition of that changes as sensibilities change - is irrelevant. A work of great beauty and profundity can be just as offensive as a populist work. The poems of Ezra Pound, for example, or the stories of Lovecraft, are very much informed by their politics and beliefs. The fact that both are now dead and so cannot directly benefit from me consuming their art is the only reason I read them. But I won't read Orson Scott Card, Dan Simmons or Frank Miller because I find their views, some of which are explicitly presented in their fiction, extremely offensive.
Freedom of expression is just another term for freedom of speech, and it's a canard. Legally, it means your government cannot silence you - but, of course, they'll find other ways to do that. It is also the last defence of hate speechers. As Karl Popper said, you do not have to tolerate intolerance. Whenever someone throws around the phrase "freedom of speech", it's usually because they have said, or are about to say, something offensive. (Not, I hasten to add, that this applies to you, Cliff, in your comment above.)
Also, it's not just "advocating violence against a group of people", it's also denying them a right to their existence, denying them their experience, insisting that your concerns and sensibilities are more valid and more important (and so must be privileged, or even protected) than theirs...
>10 Cecrow: >15 Cecrow: Writing outside your own experience is still perfectly acceptable, you just need to do a good job of it. #ownvoices is not intended to stop people from writing outside their own experience, it's more to promote people who are writing from within marginalised communities. It can backfire - and has done, especially in YA, which is, to be honest, pretty toxic these days. A Chinese diaspora author withdrew her novel after accusations its depiction of slavery was offensive to African-Americans when in fact the novel was about indentured labour in China and the East. Huh.
Apologies for the long post.
17Cecrow
While I'm inclined to agree there were mistakes in the approach to writing American Dirt, I'm sorry to see there's safety concerns about a book tour now. The controversy shouldn't turn that nasty: https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/american-dirt-book-tour-cancelled-1.544498...
I'm impressed to see that Oprah is sticking by her, but it makes me wonder whether O will be more hesitant in future about nominating books before they've ripened in the market a little more.
I'm impressed to see that Oprah is sticking by her, but it makes me wonder whether O will be more hesitant in future about nominating books before they've ripened in the market a little more.
18iansales
>17 Cecrow: Oprah is so tied to new books' marketing these days that'll never happen.
19CliffBurns
Stephen Joyce, literary executor:
https://theoutline.com/post/8603/stephen-joyce-james-joyce-literary-estate?zd=1&...
https://theoutline.com/post/8603/stephen-joyce-james-joyce-literary-estate?zd=1&...
20CliffBurns
Thomas Ligotti was given a lifetime achievement award by the Horror Writers Association. In case you've never heard of him:
https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-horror-of-the-unreal
https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-horror-of-the-unreal
21CliffBurns
We should all be reading more work by Mahmoud Darwish:
https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2020/02/27/mahmoud-darwish-this-land-is-mine
https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2020/02/27/mahmoud-darwish-this-land-is-mine
22CliffBurns
David Foster Wallace--great writer, not so great human being:
https://newrepublic.com/article/156550/infinite-jerk
https://newrepublic.com/article/156550/infinite-jerk
23CliffBurns
Remembering Harry Matthews:
https://lithub.com/few-were-as-devoted-to-poetry-and-friendship-as-harry-mathews
https://lithub.com/few-were-as-devoted-to-poetry-and-friendship-as-harry-mathews
26CliffBurns
Larry McMurtry's home library (try not to drool):
https://lithub.com/inside-the-vibrant-intellectual-ecosystem-of-larry-mcmurtrys-...
https://lithub.com/inside-the-vibrant-intellectual-ecosystem-of-larry-mcmurtrys-...
27CliffBurns
The last installment of the Wolf Hall trilogy has just been released in U.K. and early reviews are promising:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/feb/24/the-mirror-and-the-light-hilary-ma...
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/feb/24/the-mirror-and-the-light-hilary-ma...
28CliffBurns
John Cowper Powys:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2000/08/an-irresistible-long-winded...
Sounds like a fascinating guy.
(From Gord)
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2000/08/an-irresistible-long-winded...
Sounds like a fascinating guy.
(From Gord)
29iansales
>28 CliffBurns: I have his A Glastonbury Romance on my TBR.
30BookConcierge
>26 CliffBurns: Be still, my heart. I'm thinking that the next time I head to Texas I need to make a pilgrimage to Archer City.
31Cecrow
>27 CliffBurns:, my curiosity for that period was satisfied, I thought, after reading The Autobiography of Henry VIII but I think Martel's accomplishment has become too great to ignore.
32CliffBurns
The great John Sayles:
https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2020/02/27/42989631/john-sayles-on-his-new-nove...
https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2020/02/27/42989631/john-sayles-on-his-new-nove...
34CliffBurns
One last message from Robert Stone:
https://lithub.com/robert-stone-i-would-have-given-you-the-meaning-of-life-if-i-...
https://lithub.com/robert-stone-i-would-have-given-you-the-meaning-of-life-if-i-...
36CliffBurns
Charles Nicholl on the strange life of Arthur Cravan:
https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v28/n05/charles-nicholl/the-wind-comes-up-out-of...
(Great article from me pal Gord)
https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v28/n05/charles-nicholl/the-wind-comes-up-out-of...
(Great article from me pal Gord)
37bluepiano
Cravan fascinates. There's a good biography of Mina Loy with a great deal of information about him. And Wilde's niece Dolly was just as interesting.
38CliffBurns
U.S. readers can win some good science fiction books. Enter here:
https://sweeps.penguinrandomhouse.com/enter/sci-fi-sweepstakes-1584975561
https://sweeps.penguinrandomhouse.com/enter/sci-fi-sweepstakes-1584975561
39CliffBurns
What book is on YOUR "bucket list"?
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/25/book-sales-surge-self-isolating-re...
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/25/book-sales-surge-self-isolating-re...
40CliffBurns
Reading for the apocalypse:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/28/albert-camus-novel-the-plague-la-p...
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/28/albert-camus-novel-the-plague-la-p...
41CliffBurns
Don DeLillo deserves the Nobel Prize:
https://www.bookforum.com/print/2701/why-don-delillo-deserves-the-nobel-23926
https://www.bookforum.com/print/2701/why-don-delillo-deserves-the-nobel-23926
42CliffBurns
Neglected author #1,062,403: Silvina Ocampo.
https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2020/04/23/silvina-ocampo-mysterious-infinitely...
https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2020/04/23/silvina-ocampo-mysterious-infinitely...
43CliffBurns
Interview with professor of philosophy and author Simon Critchley:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-quarantine-tapes-008-simon-critchley/i...
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-quarantine-tapes-008-simon-critchley/i...
44CliffBurns
Cause for celebration, a new short story by George Saunders:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/04/06/love-letter
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/04/06/love-letter
45CliffBurns
Edna O'Brien ally defends the author from NEW YORKER hatchet job:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/apr/12/scholars-hit-back-over-new-yorker-...
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/apr/12/scholars-hit-back-over-new-yorker-...
46CliffBurns
Joy Williams on Robert Stone:
https://www.bookforum.com/print/2701/the-life-and-work-of-novelist-robert-stone-...
...and an article on Stone in THE ATLANTIC:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/05/robert-stone-america/609103...
https://www.bookforum.com/print/2701/the-life-and-work-of-novelist-robert-stone-...
...and an article on Stone in THE ATLANTIC:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/05/robert-stone-america/609103...
47CliffBurns
Colson Whitehead wins another Pulitzer:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/04/pulitizer-prize-2020-winners-colso...
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/04/pulitizer-prize-2020-winners-colso...
48CliffBurns
A glimmer of good news:
https://admin.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article...
https://admin.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article...
49CliffBurns
Michel Houellebecq, a talented monster:
https://bostonreview.net/arts-society/martin-gelin-prophet-far-right
https://bostonreview.net/arts-society/martin-gelin-prophet-far-right
50CliffBurns
Philip Roth, a writer (and unforgiving bastard) right to the end:
https://lithub.com/even-in-his-retirement-philip-roth-wrote-thousands-of-pages/
https://lithub.com/even-in-his-retirement-philip-roth-wrote-thousands-of-pages/
51CliffBurns
Can't get enough of that Robert Stone fella:
https://newrepublic.com/article/157573/robert-stone-madison-smartt-bell-biograph...
https://newrepublic.com/article/157573/robert-stone-madison-smartt-bell-biograph...
52CliffBurns
Support a legendary science fiction bookstore:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/let-us-help-save-uncle-hugo039s?utm_source=twitter&am...
https://www.gofundme.com/f/let-us-help-save-uncle-hugo039s?utm_source=twitter&am...
53iansales
>52 CliffBurns: Apparently that's not official. The owner of the book store has said he's not organising any fund raising at this time, and he's asked for that gofundme to be ceased. http://www.unclehugo.com/prod/index.shtml
54CliffBurns
Now why would some idiot start a campaign without consulting with the owner?
That's fucking ridiculous.
Thanks for the correction.
That's fucking ridiculous.
Thanks for the correction.
55CliffBurns
Belated victory for Richard Adams:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jun/01/watership-down-author-richard-adam...
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jun/01/watership-down-author-richard-adam...
56CliffBurns
Care to contribute to a Ray Bradbury themed museum?
https://iufoundation.fundly.com/forever-451-ray-bradbury-and-you
https://iufoundation.fundly.com/forever-451-ray-bradbury-and-you
58CliffBurns
Interview with Colson Whitehead:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jun/21/colson-whitehead-we-invent-all-sor...
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jun/21/colson-whitehead-we-invent-all-sor...
59CliffBurns
Congratulations to Lucy Ellmann:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/aug/21/lucy-ellmann-james-tait-black-priz...
Here's a recent review of her book in THE NATION:
https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/lucy-ellmann-ducks-newburypory-novel-r...
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/aug/21/lucy-ellmann-james-tait-black-priz...
Here's a recent review of her book in THE NATION:
https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/lucy-ellmann-ducks-newburypory-novel-r...
61CliffBurns
I think Ellmann's Wilde bio is better than his tome on Joyce.
Maybe because Wilde is a much more human, likable character than Joyce, whose self-obsession is mirrored in his work.
Maybe because Wilde is a much more human, likable character than Joyce, whose self-obsession is mirrored in his work.
63CliffBurns
What manuscripts reveal about their authors:
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200818-surprising-secrets-of-writers-first...
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200818-surprising-secrets-of-writers-first...
64CliffBurns
Soviet science fiction great Boris Strugatsky:
https://pledgetimes.com/striving-to-become-how-a-former-officer-changed-russian-...
https://pledgetimes.com/striving-to-become-how-a-former-officer-changed-russian-...
65CliffBurns
Interview with David Mitchell:
https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/thinking-polyphonically-a-conversation-with-...
https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/thinking-polyphonically-a-conversation-with-...
66jldarden
Really enjoyed that article, Cliff. Recently won a copy of Utopia Avenue and am about to start The Bone Clocks.
67CliffBurns
Ah, good for you. Have fun with a literate, smart writer.
68CliffBurns
Salman Rushdie & Martin Amis:
https://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/martin-amis-salman-rushdie-reflect-lit...
https://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/martin-amis-salman-rushdie-reflect-lit...
69CliffBurns
The legacy of Philip K. Dick:
https://chrishallamworldview.wordpress.com/2017/09/13/philip-k-dick-the-man-who-...
https://chrishallamworldview.wordpress.com/2017/09/13/philip-k-dick-the-man-who-...
70CliffBurns
New Don DeLillo on the way:
https://www.popmatters.com/don-delillo-the-silence-2647847605.html?rebelltitem=3...
https://www.popmatters.com/don-delillo-the-silence-2647847605.html?rebelltitem=3...
71CliffBurns
Paul Celan visits a psychoanalyst:
https://lithub.com/a-conversion-of-suffering-at-the-intersection-of-poetry-and-p...
https://lithub.com/a-conversion-of-suffering-at-the-intersection-of-poetry-and-p...
72CliffBurns
The letters of Raymond Chandler:
https://crimereads.com/raymond-chandler-correspondence
Great writer, bitchy human being.
https://crimereads.com/raymond-chandler-correspondence
Great writer, bitchy human being.
73CliffBurns
The great William Gaddis, as seen through the eyes of Joy Williams:
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2020/10/19/william-gaddiss-disorderly-infern...
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2020/10/19/william-gaddiss-disorderly-infern...
74CliffBurns
Ten rules for writing by one of the masters, James Crumley:
https://crimereads.com/james-crumleys-unofficial-rules-for-writing
https://crimereads.com/james-crumleys-unofficial-rules-for-writing
75CliffBurns
Congratulations to M. John Harrison:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/nov/11/a-literary-masterpiece-m-john-harr...
Picked up his SELECTED STORIES a few weeks ago and dying to delve into it.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/nov/11/a-literary-masterpiece-m-john-harr...
Picked up his SELECTED STORIES a few weeks ago and dying to delve into it.
76RobertDay
>75 CliffBurns: Oddly enough, I was reading an interview with him from 1998 the other day, on the strength of which I ordered a copy of Climbers even though I'd supposedly spent all this month's book money...
77CliffBurns
Robert Gottlieb, on the continuing appeal of Charles Dickens:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/06/books/review/mystery-of-charles-dickens-a-n-w...
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/06/books/review/mystery-of-charles-dickens-a-n-w...
78Maura49
>77 CliffBurns: Thank you for this link. I found the article to be very even handed about a great but flawed writer. I have dug out my copy of Carey's book, referred to in the article and I am also interested in a new book by John Mullan whom I won't 'touchstone' as the wrong Mullan comes up. This British critic has just published a book of essays called 'The Artful Dickens' which examines the techniques used by the writer .It is subtitled 'the tricks and ploys of the great novelist' and it sounds like fun so straight onto my tbr list.
79dypaloh
>73 CliffBurns:
Thank you for the article. I read JR in the 1970s knowing only that it had won a prize. In those days I worked as a night loader in a roofing yard and so had a fair number of daylight hours for my unprepared mind to stick with the thing. That patience finally transformed bedazzled bewilderment into ability to read and appreciate and continue on—a literary phase transition is what it was. A gloriously acid book. So funny. Equally human.
Thank you for the article. I read JR in the 1970s knowing only that it had won a prize. In those days I worked as a night loader in a roofing yard and so had a fair number of daylight hours for my unprepared mind to stick with the thing. That patience finally transformed bedazzled bewilderment into ability to read and appreciate and continue on—a literary phase transition is what it was. A gloriously acid book. So funny. Equally human.
80CliffBurns
What it's like to create an audiobook version of a William Gaddis novel:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/nov/17/i-cried-actor-120-characters-to-li...
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/nov/17/i-cried-actor-120-characters-to-li...
81CliffBurns
Celebrating the literary "flaneur":
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2020/11/17/no-walk-is-ever-wasted
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2020/11/17/no-walk-is-ever-wasted
82CliffBurns
Best indie books of 2020:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/dec/16/the-best-books-of-2020-to-support-...
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/dec/16/the-best-books-of-2020-to-support-...
