Archive for December, 2006

The silence that greeted Dominion

Calvin Baker’s strangely neglected Dominion is one of the books I admired most this year. I understand that a novel so allusive, in which invocations of myth abound and the richness of language recalls the King James, isn’t going to appeal to everyone. But I look at some of the hyped-up claptrap that has critics pulling out their trumpets this . . .

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Fiction and poetry online

Eyeshot and Mississippi Review, two personal favorites, make Shauna McKenna’s list of best online fiction and poetry venues.

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New Rupert Thomson novel in August

I’ve been longing for Rupert Thomson’s Myra Hindley-inspired novel since he told me about it in May. Only eight more months to wait! (Hear Thomson speak here.)

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Nabokov’s nymphets

Richard Hell opines that Vladimir Nabokov really was attracted to 11-year-old girls. (See Nabokov’s remarks on the subject.)

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Wole Soyinka recorded a farewell message to his dad instead of attending the funeral. Agents heard his voice, and moved in to arrest him. (Via.)

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