The LA Times has a nice, fairly lengthy article about Annie Proulx. It seems the writer who has become so associated with Wyoming is planning on moving. It also seems that she lives in one helluva cool house. I also find it interesting how some writers prefer total isolation while others have to be surrounded [...]
Normally, I’m not a fan of Michiko Kakutani’s reviews for the New York Times. But damn, her buzzsaw today through Diane Johnson’s Lulu in Marrakech is a riot. The bloodletting begins in the second paragraph when Kakutani introduces the book as a “ridiculous new novel.” The critic then goes on to examine the main character’s [...]
For the past few weeks, I’ve been reading nonfiction almost exclusively. There have been a few novels scattered here and there, but not as many as my usual literary diet requires. So to break out of my nonfiction rut, I decided to read a bigtime, serious, attention-getting novel. I grabbed one that generated a ton [...]
Nothing to do with books, but guitars are my second love, so here ya go… While many listeners may still be debating the audio quality of Metallica’s new CD, Death Magnetic, that’s no reason to stop you from entering this cool contest. If you like Metallica, that is. Or, if you want a badass guitar. [...]
In 2005, Matt Bondurant published The Third Translation, a book that blended the study of Egypt, professional wrestling thugs, cults, London musuems, extensive research, and hieroglyphic puzzles. The debut novel received critical acclaim and was published in a number of countries around the world. Now, Bondurant is back with a dramatically different tale. Based on [...]
Dzanc Books, one of the coolest small, independent publishers out there, has some interesting activities in the coming weeks. Mark your calendars now, because you’ll want to get in on this action. First up, writers can submit their work-in-progress for the 2008 Dzanc Prize. The winner receives $5,000. In keeping with Dzanc’s mission of supporting [...]
Deciding when to move on from a story (or book or poem or play or whatever) is a challenging choice that bedevils many writers. On the one hand, there are those romantic notions of “never give up on your work!” but on the other hand, there is no doubt that as an author you must [...]
So as you know, I’m not generally a fan of how-to writing books. I always make sure to mention my favorites (Pat Walsh’s 78 Reasons Why Your Book May Never Be Published… and John Dufresne’s The Lie that Tells a Truth definitely deserve a place of honor on your writing shelf next to John Gardner [...]
Although I generally like to think of myself as a man of honor, I must admit that I’ve been severely lacking in this one instance. Way back in June when the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers were playing in the NBA Finals, I placed a bet on Kobe and the boys to win. Obviously, [...]
I’ve often marvelled at how some of these current events books get pitched, written, and published so quickly. Well, the New York Observer has an interesting article about a Sarah Palin book proposal that was making the rounds. In the article, literary agent Curtis Yates says, “The intent was to finish the book by a [...]