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Rap versus writing

In an interview with her brother, British rapper Doc Brown, Zadie Smith reflects on the difference between writing and rapping in the first person: ZS: The reason I could never be in that business is that you always have to speak in the first person. I find it a really strange experience to say “I” all the time. BS: Yeah. . . .

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Outtakes

In a review of the sequel to Get Shorty, Kurt Loder says the “only really interesting thing about this boneheaded film version of Elmore Leonard’s 1999 best-seller is how flagrantly it trashes the book, and its resultantly flamboyant incoherence.” Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness inspired Coppola’s outstanding Apocalypse Now, but it nearly spawned another adaptation years earlier. For his first . . .

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You’ll just feel a little pinch

Today’s not-very-literary posts are brought to you by: a late-night fever resulting from an infection brought on by my dentist’s latest below-the-gumline excavation. (Yes, I know you’re tired of hearing about my dental woes, but believe me when I say you’re not nearly as tired as Max.) Anyhow, it’s 3 a.m. My vision is fading in and out. Soon, no . . .

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See you in a month!

This post was written by Friday guest blogger Emma Garman. Thanks for paying attention on this freezing Friday. Maud’ll be back on Monday.

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Young author’s sophomore outing depicts equal opportunities violence

This post was written by Friday guest blogger Emma Garman. Kung Fu High School by Ryan Gattis is another novel that promises to straddle the young adult/mainstream categories. Although not for the squeamish, this dystopian portrait of a violent school strictly divided along gang-lines is gripping and original. From a BBC website interview: The novel’s main character, Jen, a half-Latina, . . .

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