Kinds of decay
“My favorite writers don’t waste time.” Sarah Manguso, who did a great reading at Happy Ending, answers questions.
New BOMB
The current BOMB features interviews with Nam Le, Bill Callahan (formerly of Smog) & Isabella Rosellini (with Guy Maddin).
Elkin on the perhaps-unexpected Lahiri-Gallant conversations
“‘Workshop’ to her is a ‘junkie word.’” Maîtresse’s Lauren Elkin enjoys Jhumpa Lahiri’s talks with Mavis Gallant.
The Smart Set: Lauren Cerand’s weekly events
The Smart Set is a weekly feature, compiled and posted by Lauren Cerand, that usually appears Mondays at 12:30 pm, and highlights the best of the week to come. Special favor is given to New York’s independent booksellers and venues, and low-cost and free events. Please send details to Ms. Cerand at lauren [at] maudnewton.com [...]
Merwin interviewed
W.S. Merwin appeared on Bill Moyers last Friday, giving Michael Schaub a new reason to tune in to PBS. (Watch online.)
Lorrie Moore fiction
Bookmarked: a new Lorrie Moore story, “Childcare,” appears in the latest issue of The New Yorker. (See also.)
Pulling Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain off the shelf
My father-in-law — a warm, funny, and brilliant man of idiosyncratic passions, the only person I know who’s read Twain’s Is Shakespeare Dead? and enjoys it as much as I do — was diagnosed with multiple myeloma last fall.
It’s a terrible disease (and rare, except for those who, [...]
Coetzee preview
The NYRB publishes undated fragments from Coetzee’s forthcoming Summertime.
‘Llectuals: Summer reading you can watch
From the creators of The Hipster Olympics, here’s ‘Llectuals: Girls Gone Wilde at PBS. (Thanks, Javier — and IFC.)
I should create a new category: satirical videos I missed last summer.
The seeming possibility of posthumous connection
Writer Austin Ratner explains how a line of film dialogue about his dad caused him to view Paul Giamatti as a stand-in for his father. (Via.)
Garman praises Nathalie Abi-Ezzi novel at Words Without Borders
Emma Garman says the child narrator’s focus on her family in war-torn Lebanon makes Abi-Ezzi’s A Girl Made of Dust particularly affecting.
More on Nabokov’s papers
Thirteen microfilm reels of Nabokov’s now-public papers at the Library of Congress include notes on Lolita.
Quick links on Ali’s In the Kitchen
Monica Ali surveys hotels in literature, is profiled, and receives mixed reviews from Mark Sarvas and Nina Lakhani.
Everyman’s voice: Barnes on Frank O’Connor
“[I]t all began with voice.” Julian Barnes pens introduction to forthcoming The Best of Frank O’Connor. (Via.)
No Welty U
Eudora Welty’s family declines to grant permission for a Mississippi women’s university to take her name. (Thanks, Eric.)
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