New Connor
Philip Connor’s Diary of a Fire Lookout appears in the current Paris Review, and in State by State he considers Minnesota.
Philip Connor’s Diary of a Fire Lookout appears in the current Paris Review, and in State by State he considers Minnesota.
Thanks for the condolences, everyone. Times like these, I like to soothe myself with the devout pessimist’s mantra: Things could always be worse. To that end, I’m rereading As I Lay Dying. My father’s latest intrigue notwithstanding, at least Sister and I don’t have to help him forge a flooded river with our grandpa’s casket. I don’t have much time . . .
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 by the Thursday prior to . . .
Infinite Jest author David Foster Wallace is reported dead of an apparent suicide at the age of 46. (Confirmed.)
Kathleen Kent’s first novel, The Heretic’s Daughter, evokes the fears, diseases, and petty grudges of the witch trials era with an eerie, visceral concreteness. The book was inspired by Kent’s ancestor, Martha Carrier, who was jailed, tried, found to be a witch, and hung. To her dying breath, she refused to confess, or to beg for leniency. Below Kent answers . . .