In our morning reading: thoughts on Fernanda Melchor’s new novel, an interview with Vi Khi Nao, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Lydia Millet, Victor LaValle, Spike Jonze, and more
“Typically my writing prompt is nothing fancy—just your basic same old, same old. Fear of death.” Lydia Millet shares on artist Dimitri Kozyrev. Geoff Dyer, in the Guardian, begins a series on writing fiction. Victor LaValle responds to Laura Miller’s essay on the National Book Awards. New fiction from Michael Kimball at Matter Press. Simon Cohn, Olympia Le-Tan, and Spike Jonze made an animated short film set in a bookstore.
Bites: Woody Allen Drawn, A New Case for American Lit, NYRB on Herta Müller, SXSW, and more
An abstract from Dread and Superficiality: Woody Allen as Comic Strip, a new book to be published next month, is available at the Guardian. Arcade Fire’s a lucky band. Spike Jonze was “thinking of them almost every step of the way” in making his famous film. Rather than insular, is American Literature “borderless”? From the NYRB, a podcast on Herta Müller, the 2009 Nobel laureate in literature. Vol. 1 touched on Müller and her recent win last week. “Is there […]
Wholphin #9 preview
Not shocking that there is so much Spike Jonze stuff on this one, since I’m guessing he and Eggers are probably attached at the hip these days. Naturally this is all very good stuff, as all of the Wholphin series seem to be. All the info (courtesy of McSweeney’s e mail robot), is after the trailer. Wholphin No 9 features three, hilarious, never-before-seen short films by Spike Jonze; Joseph Gordon-Levitts adaptation of Elmore Leonards short story, “Sparks,” starring Carla Gugino […]
Bites: The perfect H.P. Lovecraft gift, bad panels, Bukowski’s computer, Todd Barry, Thurston Moore, and more.
If you really want to know what I want for Hannukah, go over to Propnomicon and pick me up some gear from Miskatonic University. Because nothing says Jewish holiday like H.P. Lovecraft. (Thanks Jacket Copy) Lit. Maybe the worst name for a literary festival panel: “What book would you like to snuggle under covers with, and why?” Alice in Wonderland in the nude. (Thanks Boing Boing) Sooo, the 50 Cent “Self-help book”, The 50th Law, will quote “Malcolm X, Miles […]
Bites: Libba Bray steals our hearts with a song, Poe’s dead date, Obama’s book, Brooklyn cliches, and more
Breaking! Libba Bray picks “Roadrunner” by The Modern Lovers as one of her songs in her turn at Largehearted Boy’s “Book Notes”. This makes us like her even more. Lit. Last night saw Thurston Moore reading Naked Lunch to a packed house at St. Marks Church. Next we find the Sonic Youth leader starting a publishing company. The Desk Set talk about rare book librarians. Yesterday was the 160th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s death. We failed by not […]