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A pale, gauzy curtain fluttering: Garman on Scarry

The human brain’s readiness to imagine “objects with certain characteristics, such as flimsiness and movement … has always been exploited by successful literary artists.” Emma Garman on Dreaming By the Book (and other critics on neglected faves).

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Girls Write Now’s 2011 Chapters lineup

The second season of Chapters, the reading series I curate for Girls Write Now, begins this Friday, March 25, when our delightful first guest, writer and mentor Emma Straub, reads from her new story collection, Other People We Married. Join us at 6 p.m. at the historic John Street Church (no affiliation). Coming up: Anna North, America Pacifica, on April . . .

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On trying to recreate the feeling of eating spring

On a fine spring day a couple years ago, I met Michael Bierut for lunch at the Century Association. It was my first visit, and for once in my life I arrived early. After offering up my coat, I stood off to the side of the grand entryway, trying to pretend I knew what to do with my hands. Michael . . .

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Unexpected hazards of e-book lending

In December, Amazon changed its policies to allow borrowing of Kindle books. A friend had been wanting to read Freedom, so I set things up to lend her my copy. Or so I thought. The little note next to the book indicated that it was on loan, but what actually showed up in my friend’s account was The New Oxford . . .

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