As when selecting a fine wine, a book is best picked on the basis of its label. In the Darwinian world that is book publishing, it is our job as readers to ensure survival of the most fashionable.
I know I’m a little late to this party, but over the past few weeks of complete catastrophe, during which intelligent thinking has been in little supply, I’ve taken refuge in the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) animation series, RSA Animate.
A few thoughts on Tom Lutz’s excellent essay about the future of criticism.
MADLIB VERSION: How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive – Christopher Boucher
Luckily Boucher is a ___________ (adjective) ___________(noun) in many respects, possessed of a special skill to diagnose malfunctioning language by ear, to hear where words are misaligned or where a phrase is too worn to use.
In an inspiring response to censorship, the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library will give away up to 150 free copies of Slaughterhouse Five to high school students in Republic, Missouri.
Our favorite book review clichés.
He wants to make Catwoman 8 — that’s his dream. He’s like, “Argh, if only I could make Catwoman 8.”
The name Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria is an intimidating one for someone from the Midwest to come across, but his introduction to my Penguin edition of Don Quixote was so splendid, that I had to find out more about him.
Music and writing are basically BFFs – Jennifer Egan’s victory lap sweep of last year’s major literary awards only reinforces their interconnectedness. Under the nebulous, pulsating umbrella that is “popular culture,” books and music have been weaving themselves together since before kids in college dorms stapled their first punk zines.
The kind of authorial conceit Dyer is talking about is anathema to my reading sensitivities, and one I often call out when I see it. It reminds me of (ahem) that moment near the end of America’s Next Top Model where Tyra Banks says, repeatedly, to a succession of girls: “The next girl I’m going to call is….Nicole!” Oh dear.