News
Seen and Heard
by Caryn Thurman on Wednesday, March 9, 2005 01:55 pmLet's face it, the usual lists of best-sellers and book reviews don't offer much excitement. But there's always a lot happening in the wild and wacky world of literature -- if you know where to look.
-- Yesterday the shortlist for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award was announced. Finalists include The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard and The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem. The IMPAC award is the literary world's most international of awards and carries one of the largest cash prizes (100,000 Euros). The finalists for the upcoming Man Booker and Orange Prizes are yet to be announced. The question is, does anyone really pay attention to these awards and what do they mean to the average reader?
-- Those not up for a literary award just yet: rap sensation Nas, baseball star Jose Canseco, tabloid smarm-king Joey Buttafuoco. What do these three have in common? Why, they all aspire to be best-selling authors, of course. Canseco recently made the rounds promoting his new book, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits and How Baseball Got Big. Nas has indicated his desire to become a novelist. And Buttafuoco? Well, everyone's got a story to tell and apparently his fifteen minutes of fame will not die.
-- Could you use that in a poem? In a push to rekindle interest in poetry, The Chicago-based Poetry Foundation, acting in tandem with The National Endowment for the Arts, is looking to the National Spelling Bee as a model for a possible national poetry recitation tournament. In contrast to the numerous poetry slams that seem to be popping up everywhere, students would be required to memorize and recite classic works from published poets, instead of performing their own works. Pilot programs are currently being organized in Chicago and Washington, DC with competitions set to begin next month.
-- Hear no evil, smell no evil? Many of us dread being shushed by the ever-vigilant librarian, however we might also want to start checking our deodorant before hitting the stacks. We've all read some books that really stink, but smelly library patrons in San Luis Obispo, CA may be booted in accordance with a new county ordinance approved last month. In addition to bad b.o., library and bookmobile visitors may also be asked to leave "for fighting, eating, drinking, sleeping, playing games, and printing or viewing illegal materials on library computers." It's almost as if they want us to go there to read or something.
-- Last Thursday the Association of American Publishers honored Lawrence Ferlinghetti with the Curtis Benjamin Award for Creative Publishing. The award is given to a "living publisher in the United States who has demonstrated exceptional creativity and innovation in publishing." We can't think of a more deserving recipient.
Those are just a few stories that caught my eye over the past few days. What's the literary news in your part of the world?
-- Yesterday the shortlist for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award was announced. Finalists include The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard and The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem. The IMPAC award is the literary world's most international of awards and carries one of the largest cash prizes (100,000 Euros). The finalists for the upcoming Man Booker and Orange Prizes are yet to be announced. The question is, does anyone really pay attention to these awards and what do they mean to the average reader?
-- Those not up for a literary award just yet: rap sensation Nas, baseball star Jose Canseco, tabloid smarm-king Joey Buttafuoco. What do these three have in common? Why, they all aspire to be best-selling authors, of course. Canseco recently made the rounds promoting his new book, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits and How Baseball Got Big. Nas has indicated his desire to become a novelist. And Buttafuoco? Well, everyone's got a story to tell and apparently his fifteen minutes of fame will not die.
-- Could you use that in a poem? In a push to rekindle interest in poetry, The Chicago-based Poetry Foundation, acting in tandem with The National Endowment for the Arts, is looking to the National Spelling Bee as a model for a possible national poetry recitation tournament. In contrast to the numerous poetry slams that seem to be popping up everywhere, students would be required to memorize and recite classic works from published poets, instead of performing their own works. Pilot programs are currently being organized in Chicago and Washington, DC with competitions set to begin next month.
-- Hear no evil, smell no evil? Many of us dread being shushed by the ever-vigilant librarian, however we might also want to start checking our deodorant before hitting the stacks. We've all read some books that really stink, but smelly library patrons in San Luis Obispo, CA may be booted in accordance with a new county ordinance approved last month. In addition to bad b.o., library and bookmobile visitors may also be asked to leave "for fighting, eating, drinking, sleeping, playing games, and printing or viewing illegal materials on library computers." It's almost as if they want us to go there to read or something.
-- Last Thursday the Association of American Publishers honored Lawrence Ferlinghetti with the Curtis Benjamin Award for Creative Publishing. The award is given to a "living publisher in the United States who has demonstrated exceptional creativity and innovation in publishing." We can't think of a more deserving recipient.
Those are just a few stories that caught my eye over the past few days. What's the literary news in your part of the world?
Hunter S. Thompson: Gonzo is Gone
by Levi Asher on Monday, February 21, 2005 06:57 amThe celebrated author Hunter S. Thompson, who carried the beat romanticism of Jack Kerouac, the political conviction of Allen Ginsberg and the acidic skepticism of William S. Burroughs into the world of popular journalism, has died a Hemingway-esque death in Colorado. Please share your thoughts for HST.
The Return of Seen and Heard
by Caryn Thurman on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 10:43 amAfter a long hiatus, we're back with what's moving and shaking in the literary and publishing world. In addition to several upcoming book awards and publishing fairs here are a few items that caught my eye over the past few weeks.
-- While Bob Dylan is up for a National Book Critics Circle prize (winners will be announced March 18), another music legend is making news in the publishing world. Yes, Sean "P. Diddy - Puff Daddy - Puffy - Bad Boy for Life" Combs is being sued by Random House over a dispute in which the publishing company claims Puffy decided just to keep the $300k advance it paid for his memoirs -- which he never completed. I'm sure he's been busy writing his stories of J. Lo, meeting the Bushes and flamboyant awards show arrivals and parties. I think he just didn't want to overshadow the success of Dylan's Chronicles, Vol. 1.
-- On the Road again ... Earlier this month, the 120-foot long scroll of Jack Kerouac's On the Road manuscript was again unfurled -- this time at the University of Iowa Museum of Art. Fans can catch a glimpse of the yellowed and fairly tattered literary artifact in Iowa City through March 12, then the scroll will continue its four year national tour of museums and libraries.
-- Possibly destined for a paper mill near you ... the towering oak that was known as "Kesey's Tree" in Menlo Park, CA fell victim to root rot last month. What would later become a local shrine to Ken Kesey, the gnarled oak reportedly shaded the cottage where Kesey began writing One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
-- Speaking of rot, this just in from the "please stop making horrible movies from books" department: It seems that the screenplay adaptation of Jonathan Franzen's novel The Corrections is floating around for review. And the reviews aren't good -- what a surprise. While I personally didn't care for this "must-read" novel, I'm not sure I want to someday find out that one (or all) of its characters will be played by Tom Hanks.
-- As many of you know, former president Bill Clinton won a spoken-word Grammy Sunday night for My Life. What you may not know ... in an effort not to be outdone, the rumor is that John Ashcroft may have his eye on another national office -- Poet Laureate. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.
-- What are they doing in the Hemingway House? Fear of being overrun with tourists has prompted Ketchum, Idaho residents to attempt to buy and move the last home of Ernest Hemingway. In 1961, Hemingway shot and killed himself in the concrete and wood house. The Idaho Hemingway House Foundation (which boasts Tom Hanks, ahem, as a board member) hopes to open the house to the public and opposes the move.
Of course the biggest news this week was the death of playwright Arthur Miller. We'll be posting a retrospective on his impact and career on Monday, but in the meantime -- which literary news items and events are on your mind today?
-- While Bob Dylan is up for a National Book Critics Circle prize (winners will be announced March 18), another music legend is making news in the publishing world. Yes, Sean "P. Diddy - Puff Daddy - Puffy - Bad Boy for Life" Combs is being sued by Random House over a dispute in which the publishing company claims Puffy decided just to keep the $300k advance it paid for his memoirs -- which he never completed. I'm sure he's been busy writing his stories of J. Lo, meeting the Bushes and flamboyant awards show arrivals and parties. I think he just didn't want to overshadow the success of Dylan's Chronicles, Vol. 1.
-- On the Road again ... Earlier this month, the 120-foot long scroll of Jack Kerouac's On the Road manuscript was again unfurled -- this time at the University of Iowa Museum of Art. Fans can catch a glimpse of the yellowed and fairly tattered literary artifact in Iowa City through March 12, then the scroll will continue its four year national tour of museums and libraries.
-- Possibly destined for a paper mill near you ... the towering oak that was known as "Kesey's Tree" in Menlo Park, CA fell victim to root rot last month. What would later become a local shrine to Ken Kesey, the gnarled oak reportedly shaded the cottage where Kesey began writing One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
-- Speaking of rot, this just in from the "please stop making horrible movies from books" department: It seems that the screenplay adaptation of Jonathan Franzen's novel The Corrections is floating around for review. And the reviews aren't good -- what a surprise. While I personally didn't care for this "must-read" novel, I'm not sure I want to someday find out that one (or all) of its characters will be played by Tom Hanks.
-- As many of you know, former president Bill Clinton won a spoken-word Grammy Sunday night for My Life. What you may not know ... in an effort not to be outdone, the rumor is that John Ashcroft may have his eye on another national office -- Poet Laureate. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.
-- What are they doing in the Hemingway House? Fear of being overrun with tourists has prompted Ketchum, Idaho residents to attempt to buy and move the last home of Ernest Hemingway. In 1961, Hemingway shot and killed himself in the concrete and wood house. The Idaho Hemingway House Foundation (which boasts Tom Hanks, ahem, as a board member) hopes to open the house to the public and opposes the move.
Of course the biggest news this week was the death of playwright Arthur Miller. We'll be posting a retrospective on his impact and career on Monday, but in the meantime -- which literary news items and events are on your mind today?
Two Beat Legends: A Tribute
by Jamelah Earle on Friday, January 28, 2005 10:57 pmLucien Carr died Friday of complications from cancer treatment. He was 79 years old. Carr is known as a figure in the Beat Generation and also as a reporter and editor for the United Press International news service.
Carr was a big influence on Kerouac, appearing as Kenneth Wood in the novel The Town and the City. He also supplied the now-legendary roll of paper that became the manuscript for On the Road.
(To learn more about Lucien Carr, read the LitKicks article here.)
In other news, a collection of Neal Cassady's letters has recently been published (Collected Letters, 1944-1967). Cassady's widow, Carolyn, has done an excellent job of promoting Neal's legacy as a writer, which often gets overshadowed by the legend that surrounds him. The collection includes letters to Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg among other Beat writers, as well as correspondence between Neal and Carolyn.
Carr was a big influence on Kerouac, appearing as Kenneth Wood in the novel The Town and the City. He also supplied the now-legendary roll of paper that became the manuscript for On the Road.
(To learn more about Lucien Carr, read the LitKicks article here.)
In other news, a collection of Neal Cassady's letters has recently been published (Collected Letters, 1944-1967). Cassady's widow, Carolyn, has done an excellent job of promoting Neal's legacy as a writer, which often gets overshadowed by the legend that surrounds him. The collection includes letters to Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg among other Beat writers, as well as correspondence between Neal and Carolyn.
Literacy of Society
by Caryn Thurman on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 08:43 amA few weeks ago we discussed Google's plan to digitally scan large portions of some of the most prestigious library inventories in order to make those texts searchable and available online. This does seem to increase access to some important literary works and information, but the limiting factor would still be online access itself. While it seems like everyone is online these days, there are still a lot of people who don't have internet access and many who do often rely on computers in public libraries, schools or community centers.
Drawing a Blank: the Top Literary Stories of 2004
by Levi Asher on Thursday, December 30, 2004 11:42 amWe're about to kick off a new annual tradition here at LitKicks: a review of the year's big stories in literature.
These types of summaries are popular for other creative forms, and in fact I can effortlessly rattle off several other yearly summaries, just off the top of my head. The year's big stories in music? Well, there's the emergence of crafty, instrumentally skilled singles bands like Modest Mouse, Franz Ferdinand and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and there's the continuing overflow of pleasurable, crunk-toned hiphop from the likes of Jadakiss, Fat Joe, Ja Rule, Ludacris, Fabolous and Lil Jon. The big story in film? Easy -- the huge success of two powerful, polemical and politically-charged films, Mel Gibson's 'Passion' and Michael Moore's 'Farenheit 911', each designed to preach to their own choirs (as well as to a tiny quadrant, including myself, that liked both).
In this spirit, I would like to announce the LitKicks Big Stories in Literature for 2004. Here goes!
* sound of crickets chirping *
These types of summaries are popular for other creative forms, and in fact I can effortlessly rattle off several other yearly summaries, just off the top of my head. The year's big stories in music? Well, there's the emergence of crafty, instrumentally skilled singles bands like Modest Mouse, Franz Ferdinand and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and there's the continuing overflow of pleasurable, crunk-toned hiphop from the likes of Jadakiss, Fat Joe, Ja Rule, Ludacris, Fabolous and Lil Jon. The big story in film? Easy -- the huge success of two powerful, polemical and politically-charged films, Mel Gibson's 'Passion' and Michael Moore's 'Farenheit 911', each designed to preach to their own choirs (as well as to a tiny quadrant, including myself, that liked both).
In this spirit, I would like to announce the LitKicks Big Stories in Literature for 2004. Here goes!
* sound of crickets chirping *
Googling It
by Levi Asher on Monday, December 20, 2004 12:02 amGoogle recently announced a plan to begin working with the New York Public Library and some major university libraries from Harvard, Oxford, Michigan and Stanford to make the most important printed texts of the world available for online searching.
This is the second major literary initiative by Google this year, following a program called Google Print that allows the web-based search engine to search inside books.
Opinions are divided about Google, an American corporation based in the Bay Area. The company seems socially progressive -- their motto is "Don't Be Evil". But it is a public corporation, which means it is owned by stockholders solely interested in increasing profit.
I've worked inside dot-coms (and I still do), and if you've hung around as many cubicles as I have, you know how hard it is for a new media corporation to make good decisions, or any decisions at all. I know many people are concerned about the power Google is amassing as it continues to index the world's information. They don't seem insidious. But what if they're actually Martians?
Personally, I worry much more about Texas-based corporations than San Francisco-based ones and I applaud Google's experimental forays into mankind's vaults of texts. But I know there are a lot of valid opinions about this. What do you think?
This is the second major literary initiative by Google this year, following a program called Google Print that allows the web-based search engine to search inside books.
Opinions are divided about Google, an American corporation based in the Bay Area. The company seems socially progressive -- their motto is "Don't Be Evil". But it is a public corporation, which means it is owned by stockholders solely interested in increasing profit.
I've worked inside dot-coms (and I still do), and if you've hung around as many cubicles as I have, you know how hard it is for a new media corporation to make good decisions, or any decisions at all. I know many people are concerned about the power Google is amassing as it continues to index the world's information. They don't seem insidious. But what if they're actually Martians?
Personally, I worry much more about Texas-based corporations than San Francisco-based ones and I applaud Google's experimental forays into mankind's vaults of texts. But I know there are a lot of valid opinions about this. What do you think?
Seen and Heard
by Caryn Thurman on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 11:14 amLast week we focused on stuffing ourselves along with the turkey, but this week we're filling up on literary gossip, news and highlights. Mmm mmm good.
-- Linktone has launched a first-of-its-kind mobile literature channel in China, called the "m-Novel" Channel. The first literature being published through this channel is a romantic story titled, "Distance", written by Taiwanese novelist Xuan Huang. This is just another example of the growing trend to marry literature to rapidly expanding technology to increase readership and promote literacy. Other examples include the newfound popularity of audiobooks (thanks to the iPod craze) and daily feeds such as tinywords, which provides daily haiku offerings for various types of portable technologies.
-- Organizers of the Virginia Festival of the Book have announced that early signers for the event include former NPR host and current XM Radio journalist Bob Edwards. During the festival, poet Robert Creeley will be participating in a conference celebrating Walt Whitman. Whitman manuscripts will be on display courtesy of Special Collections at the University of Virginia. The 11th Annual Virginia Festival of the Book will be held March 16-20, 2005 in Charlottesville, VA. Also appearing at the festival is Rupert Holmes, author of the novel Where the Truth Lies and the musical "The Mystery of Edwin Drood". Beyond being an accomplished songwriter and dramatist, Holmes is probably better known as 'that guy who sang The Pina Colada Song'.
-- In the tradition of state poet laureates making headlines, Nevada's Poet Laureate Norman Kaye has been in the news for a few weeks now. The state is seeking to replace Kaye, but he's not so willing to be put out to pasture. There has been some controversy with Kaye holding the position in the first place. Why? Because he's never actually written a 'poem'.
-- Just in time for your holiday gift lists, Sotheby's has announced it will be auctioning off 17th century British porn on December 16. The auction house's book specialist describes the 1670 work , titled "Sodom", as "the quintessence of debauchery". Take that, Howard Stern. Also appearing on the auction block this Friday is an unfinished manuscript of Truman Capote's first novel, Summer Crossing. Capote publicly claimed to have destroyed this first work, but the manuscript was found among other papers retrieved from his abandoned apartment at the time of his death.
-- The untimely death of poet Dylan Thomas is generally attributed to heavy drinking, but a new biography published this week theorizes that it was actually pneumonia (and medical negligence) that ended his life. The new book, Dylan Remembered 1935-1953, sheds light not only the Welsh poet's death, but provides insight into Thomas' life through interviews with friends, colleagues, and acquaintances.
-- Book Thing, Baltimore's no charge bookstore boasts a weekly turnaround of over 20,000 books donated and distributed. Free books to whoever wants them? Sounds too good to be true, but Book Thing's been doing its thing for about six years now. Unfortunately, Charm City's treasure is facing the same harsh reality that many non-profits and independent booksellers face and may be forced to close its doors soon.
-- Book Thing and unique destinations like it are the focus of a new book Bookstore Tourism by author and literary tourguide Larry Portzline. This new book (available in softcover or as a free download) offers insight on making literature a focus of your travel plans, from visiting independent booksellers, literary festivals and other hot spots for bibliophiles. The book is mainly an overview of the process Portzline uses for his own tours, but it is useful as a starting point and the appendices are extremely helpful for those wanting to take a lit trip of their own.
-- If you want to travel even farther without leaving your keyboard, the online magazine for international literature, Words Without Borders, is offering a showcase of children's literature from around the globe. Through December, you can find previously untranslated versions of tales from Israel, Japan and Egypt. Many fairy tales, stories and characters familiar to English audiences originally appeared in foreign languages; Words Without Borders continues this tradition with this diverse and enjoyable collection of what we can only imagine to be future classics.
-- The Top Ten Words for 2004 have been announced by Merriam-Webster. It's not too much of a surprise to hear the top word of the year was "blog" or that many of the words are election-related. But it is definitely heartwarming to find that "cicada" emerged at #6. The list is based on users' anonymous hits to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and Online Thesaurus.
These are just a few things that have caught my eye over the last few days. Found anything interesting about your favorite publisher, author or literary scene? Or perhaps you've made a Top Word List of your own? We want to hear about it.
-- Linktone has launched a first-of-its-kind mobile literature channel in China, called the "m-Novel" Channel. The first literature being published through this channel is a romantic story titled, "Distance", written by Taiwanese novelist Xuan Huang. This is just another example of the growing trend to marry literature to rapidly expanding technology to increase readership and promote literacy. Other examples include the newfound popularity of audiobooks (thanks to the iPod craze) and daily feeds such as tinywords, which provides daily haiku offerings for various types of portable technologies.
-- Organizers of the Virginia Festival of the Book have announced that early signers for the event include former NPR host and current XM Radio journalist Bob Edwards. During the festival, poet Robert Creeley will be participating in a conference celebrating Walt Whitman. Whitman manuscripts will be on display courtesy of Special Collections at the University of Virginia. The 11th Annual Virginia Festival of the Book will be held March 16-20, 2005 in Charlottesville, VA. Also appearing at the festival is Rupert Holmes, author of the novel Where the Truth Lies and the musical "The Mystery of Edwin Drood". Beyond being an accomplished songwriter and dramatist, Holmes is probably better known as 'that guy who sang The Pina Colada Song'.
-- In the tradition of state poet laureates making headlines, Nevada's Poet Laureate Norman Kaye has been in the news for a few weeks now. The state is seeking to replace Kaye, but he's not so willing to be put out to pasture. There has been some controversy with Kaye holding the position in the first place. Why? Because he's never actually written a 'poem'.
-- Just in time for your holiday gift lists, Sotheby's has announced it will be auctioning off 17th century British porn on December 16. The auction house's book specialist describes the 1670 work , titled "Sodom", as "the quintessence of debauchery". Take that, Howard Stern. Also appearing on the auction block this Friday is an unfinished manuscript of Truman Capote's first novel, Summer Crossing. Capote publicly claimed to have destroyed this first work, but the manuscript was found among other papers retrieved from his abandoned apartment at the time of his death.
-- The untimely death of poet Dylan Thomas is generally attributed to heavy drinking, but a new biography published this week theorizes that it was actually pneumonia (and medical negligence) that ended his life. The new book, Dylan Remembered 1935-1953, sheds light not only the Welsh poet's death, but provides insight into Thomas' life through interviews with friends, colleagues, and acquaintances.
-- Book Thing, Baltimore's no charge bookstore boasts a weekly turnaround of over 20,000 books donated and distributed. Free books to whoever wants them? Sounds too good to be true, but Book Thing's been doing its thing for about six years now. Unfortunately, Charm City's treasure is facing the same harsh reality that many non-profits and independent booksellers face and may be forced to close its doors soon.
-- Book Thing and unique destinations like it are the focus of a new book Bookstore Tourism by author and literary tourguide Larry Portzline. This new book (available in softcover or as a free download) offers insight on making literature a focus of your travel plans, from visiting independent booksellers, literary festivals and other hot spots for bibliophiles. The book is mainly an overview of the process Portzline uses for his own tours, but it is useful as a starting point and the appendices are extremely helpful for those wanting to take a lit trip of their own.
-- If you want to travel even farther without leaving your keyboard, the online magazine for international literature, Words Without Borders, is offering a showcase of children's literature from around the globe. Through December, you can find previously untranslated versions of tales from Israel, Japan and Egypt. Many fairy tales, stories and characters familiar to English audiences originally appeared in foreign languages; Words Without Borders continues this tradition with this diverse and enjoyable collection of what we can only imagine to be future classics.
-- The Top Ten Words for 2004 have been announced by Merriam-Webster. It's not too much of a surprise to hear the top word of the year was "blog" or that many of the words are election-related. But it is definitely heartwarming to find that "cicada" emerged at #6. The list is based on users' anonymous hits to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and Online Thesaurus.
These are just a few things that have caught my eye over the last few days. Found anything interesting about your favorite publisher, author or literary scene? Or perhaps you've made a Top Word List of your own? We want to hear about it.
Seen and Heard
by Caryn Thurman on Tuesday, November 16, 2004 12:06 pmAs if all the holiday book gift guides and new releases weren't enough to keep us busy, it seems to be award season in the literary world ... and so close to Thanksgiving. Perhaps it's a sign that there are a lot of turkeys about. Heavyweights Tom Wolfe, Philip Roth, Alice Munro and even Dave Eggers have recent volumes out and are getting some buzz just in time to possibly be stuffed in someone's stocking, but sometimes the more interesting news is a little on the less obvious side.
-- Tom Hanks is rumored to be the top pick to star in the film adaptation of Dan Brown's wildly popular The Da Vinci Code. No word yet on how they'll work in Meg Ryan or the oversized piano keyboard stunt. The Da Vinci Code continues to be a sensation across the world -- not only is there a movie in the works, but the dramatic novel has inspired a revival in the sport of graverobbing as well. Tom Hanks, graverobbers, Mary Magdalene -- I don't know about you, but I smell an Oscar.
-- Okay, so maybe no one will pull a knife at the National Book Awards ceremony this Wednesday in New York, but that's not stopping many literary critics and editors from voicing their beef with this year's nominations. Accusations that the fiction nominations lack diversity, that the poetry collections are hardly inspiring and the debate on whether The 9/11 Commission Report should even be considered 'literature', seem to be the tip of the scandal iceberg here. We can only hope that Garrison Keillor, the master of ceremonies for the event, is ready for anything.
-- In other award news, several authors and illustrators recently snagged honors for children's literature in Canada and over 140 books are on the long list (very long list) of nominees for Ireland's 2005 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Said to be one of the richest prizes in literature (worth $184,000), the IMPAC award honors a single work of fiction published in English. With nominations representing over 45 countries, the current long list will be shortened in March, with the winner being announced in June.
-- Jay Parini, who's written biographies of such literary notables as Robert Frost, John Steinbeck and Theodore Rothke, has tackled William Faulkner as his latest subject. One Matchless Time: A Life of William Faulkner, the latest biography of Faulkner is reported to be somewhat of a glossing over compared to previous biographies, but may be a good starting point for readers interested in learning more about the man behind two of America's most powerful novels, The Sound and the Fury and As I Lay Dying.
-- The Paris Review has collaborated with charityfolks.com to auction off such literary treasures as signed manuscripts and art related to the publication. Ever wanted to 'drink and discuss politics with polemicist extraordinaire and Harper's editor Lewis Lapham'? Come now, who of us hasn't had that fantasy? Well, you finally have your chance -- for a price, of course. The auction runs through Thursday, November 18 and proceeds go to the Paris Review Foundation.
-- I caught the end of the movie 'Sylvia' this weekend ... while (granted) there wasn't a surprise ending, the film seemed to have a bigger impact in light of the latest Plath publication. Frieda Hughes, the daughter of poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, defends her father while promoting her mother's legacy with a new edition of Ariel, available November 25. The restored version of Ariel contains the entire list of poems in the original order that Plath left them at the time of her suicide. Though Plath's death and the subsequent publication of her final poems by Ted Hughes were rife with controversy, the strength and craft of the poems transcend any debate. You can read an edited version of Frieda Hughes' foreword to this new facsimile edition of the original manuscript here.
These are just a few of the stories moving and shaking around the publishing world this week. Seen or heard anything interesting about your favorite publisher, author or literary genre? Making some news of your own? We want to hear about it.
-- Tom Hanks is rumored to be the top pick to star in the film adaptation of Dan Brown's wildly popular The Da Vinci Code. No word yet on how they'll work in Meg Ryan or the oversized piano keyboard stunt. The Da Vinci Code continues to be a sensation across the world -- not only is there a movie in the works, but the dramatic novel has inspired a revival in the sport of graverobbing as well. Tom Hanks, graverobbers, Mary Magdalene -- I don't know about you, but I smell an Oscar.
-- Okay, so maybe no one will pull a knife at the National Book Awards ceremony this Wednesday in New York, but that's not stopping many literary critics and editors from voicing their beef with this year's nominations. Accusations that the fiction nominations lack diversity, that the poetry collections are hardly inspiring and the debate on whether The 9/11 Commission Report should even be considered 'literature', seem to be the tip of the scandal iceberg here. We can only hope that Garrison Keillor, the master of ceremonies for the event, is ready for anything.
-- In other award news, several authors and illustrators recently snagged honors for children's literature in Canada and over 140 books are on the long list (very long list) of nominees for Ireland's 2005 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Said to be one of the richest prizes in literature (worth $184,000), the IMPAC award honors a single work of fiction published in English. With nominations representing over 45 countries, the current long list will be shortened in March, with the winner being announced in June.
-- Jay Parini, who's written biographies of such literary notables as Robert Frost, John Steinbeck and Theodore Rothke, has tackled William Faulkner as his latest subject. One Matchless Time: A Life of William Faulkner, the latest biography of Faulkner is reported to be somewhat of a glossing over compared to previous biographies, but may be a good starting point for readers interested in learning more about the man behind two of America's most powerful novels, The Sound and the Fury and As I Lay Dying.
-- The Paris Review has collaborated with charityfolks.com to auction off such literary treasures as signed manuscripts and art related to the publication. Ever wanted to 'drink and discuss politics with polemicist extraordinaire and Harper's editor Lewis Lapham'? Come now, who of us hasn't had that fantasy? Well, you finally have your chance -- for a price, of course. The auction runs through Thursday, November 18 and proceeds go to the Paris Review Foundation.
-- I caught the end of the movie 'Sylvia' this weekend ... while (granted) there wasn't a surprise ending, the film seemed to have a bigger impact in light of the latest Plath publication. Frieda Hughes, the daughter of poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, defends her father while promoting her mother's legacy with a new edition of Ariel, available November 25. The restored version of Ariel contains the entire list of poems in the original order that Plath left them at the time of her suicide. Though Plath's death and the subsequent publication of her final poems by Ted Hughes were rife with controversy, the strength and craft of the poems transcend any debate. You can read an edited version of Frieda Hughes' foreword to this new facsimile edition of the original manuscript here.
These are just a few of the stories moving and shaking around the publishing world this week. Seen or heard anything interesting about your favorite publisher, author or literary genre? Making some news of your own? We want to hear about it.
Seen and Heard
by Caryn Thurman on Tuesday, November 9, 2004 10:11 amWhile much of it may not be widely reported by the "mainstream press", there's always something exciting, interesting or just plain strange happening in the world of literature and publishing. Here are just a few recent items of note:
-- Spoken word sensation and social activist Saul Williams kicked off his North American tour last week and is scheduled to make at least two dozen appearances in various venues throughout the US and Canada. One show sure to make waves is his November 18th appearance at the 930 Club in DC with hip-hop MC Talib Kweli. Williams' new album is now available and tour dates and further information can be found at saulwilliams.com.
-- New Line Cinemas announced on Monday that Oscar-winning screenwriter Ronald Harwood ("The Pianist") was hired to begin the adaptation of the Gabriel Garcia Marquez epic Love in the Time of Cholera. There is no word on when the film is expected to be in theatres or on who might be cast to play the lovelorn protagonist Florentino Ariza.
-- At North Carolina Central University, administrators have decided to withdraw the $7,000 annual budget for Ex Umbra, the student produced annual literary journal. The journal was first published in 1965 and was created to highlight the writings of students at the historically black college. The current submissions and planned issue now remain unpublished and this move seems to be another step in the wrong direction for the promotion of school-supported literature and arts funding in universities and beyond. It is unknown at this point if private funding or donations will come through to keep this journal on its feet.
-- Beat icon Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Lou Reed, poet Li-Young Lee along with other writers, slam poets and notables have come together to create a unique blend of their talents in reVerse. A mix of genres, styles and messages, the collection of poems, songs and poem-songs includes 14 artists from Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. We heartily support such collaborations that dare to blur the lines of music, poetry and activism. Stay tuned for an upcoming review of this compilation, available in stores on November 15th.
-- And last but not least ... Billy Corgan, former front man of The Smashing Pumpkins, is now a best-selling poet. His new collection of poetry, Blinking With Fists, is currently at number 32 on the New York Times Best Seller list (hardcover fiction). Corgan just finished a 14-city book signing tour to promote the book. Meanwhile, another rocker is riding high on the best-seller list. Motley Crue bad boy Tommy Lee's new autobiography Tommyland took the number 16 spot on the Times' Hardcover Non-fiction list. From anecdotes about his marriages to Pamela Anderson and Heather Locklear to stories of porn stars, sex tapes, drugs, anger management and the rock and roll scene, we can only imagine that Tommyland will remain on the best-seller list for weeks to come.
These are the stories that caught our eye this week -- tell us what you think and if your favorite author, poet or organization is making literary news, we want to hear about it.
-- Spoken word sensation and social activist Saul Williams kicked off his North American tour last week and is scheduled to make at least two dozen appearances in various venues throughout the US and Canada. One show sure to make waves is his November 18th appearance at the 930 Club in DC with hip-hop MC Talib Kweli. Williams' new album is now available and tour dates and further information can be found at saulwilliams.com.
-- New Line Cinemas announced on Monday that Oscar-winning screenwriter Ronald Harwood ("The Pianist") was hired to begin the adaptation of the Gabriel Garcia Marquez epic Love in the Time of Cholera. There is no word on when the film is expected to be in theatres or on who might be cast to play the lovelorn protagonist Florentino Ariza.
-- At North Carolina Central University, administrators have decided to withdraw the $7,000 annual budget for Ex Umbra, the student produced annual literary journal. The journal was first published in 1965 and was created to highlight the writings of students at the historically black college. The current submissions and planned issue now remain unpublished and this move seems to be another step in the wrong direction for the promotion of school-supported literature and arts funding in universities and beyond. It is unknown at this point if private funding or donations will come through to keep this journal on its feet.
-- Beat icon Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Lou Reed, poet Li-Young Lee along with other writers, slam poets and notables have come together to create a unique blend of their talents in reVerse. A mix of genres, styles and messages, the collection of poems, songs and poem-songs includes 14 artists from Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. We heartily support such collaborations that dare to blur the lines of music, poetry and activism. Stay tuned for an upcoming review of this compilation, available in stores on November 15th.
-- And last but not least ... Billy Corgan, former front man of The Smashing Pumpkins, is now a best-selling poet. His new collection of poetry, Blinking With Fists, is currently at number 32 on the New York Times Best Seller list (hardcover fiction). Corgan just finished a 14-city book signing tour to promote the book. Meanwhile, another rocker is riding high on the best-seller list. Motley Crue bad boy Tommy Lee's new autobiography Tommyland took the number 16 spot on the Times' Hardcover Non-fiction list. From anecdotes about his marriages to Pamela Anderson and Heather Locklear to stories of porn stars, sex tapes, drugs, anger management and the rock and roll scene, we can only imagine that Tommyland will remain on the best-seller list for weeks to come.
These are the stories that caught our eye this week -- tell us what you think and if your favorite author, poet or organization is making literary news, we want to hear about it.
