At The Guardian, the intriguing case of historian Orlando Figes and his wife’s savage Amazon reviews of her husband’s rivals’ books. The case begs the question: should Amazon allow anonymous reviews?
The Historian, His Wife, Her Venom, His Rivals
Spiegel & Grau turns to indies for help
Shaken by scathing reviews from The New York Times and The Washington Post, Yann Martel's publisher turns to independent bookstores for help.
Imaginary Oklahoma
“Imaginary Oklahoma” writes Oklahoman writer James McGirk, “is an anthology of forty-six writers’ attempts to envision Oklahoma without ever having visited America’s forty-sixth state.” You can get a taste for the pieces over at The Paris Review, or you can check out the book trailer and attempt to envision The Paris Review's write-up without actually reading it.
The Oddity
You may have heard that the pioneering jazz musician Ornette Coleman died last week at the age of eighty-five. As a composer, he was known for his odd melodies, which reliably tested the boundaries of what jazz could accomplish. At The Paris Review Daily, two musicians and writers look back on his legacy.
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“Research is about following the gleam into the dark.”
"Writing is the lonely sport of sad sacks." The Rumpus interviews Lauren Groff, who's a bit of a Millions favorite. Here's her Millions interview and here's Arcadia as Janet Potter's Staff Pick this past April. Also, here's a #LitBeat of a Literary Death Match she competed in earlier this year, in LA.
POC Destroy Fantasy
Heads up! Fantasy Magazine is looking for submissions for their special issue, "People of Colo(u)r Destroy Fantasy." Per the guidelines: "We're looking for original, unpublished fantasy stories of up to 7500 words written by People of Colo(u)r. The stories can be set in this world with fantastical elements or they can take place in another world entirely. Please avoid timeworn cliches like the White Savior, the Magical Negro, and the Woman Who Is Only A Sex Object."
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Jaipur Literature Festival
Touted as Asia's leading literature event, the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival is gearing up for it January 2010 program.
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Back to the Big Easy; Avoiding Bourbon Street
It’s two weeks past Mardi Gras, so you’re probably ready to revisit New Orleans by now. Good timing. Narrative.ly has a week’s worth of stories on the Big Easy, entitled “Beyond Bourbon Street.” (Related: I recommend reading Tulane’s Richard Campanella’s recent piece for Design Observer: “Hating Bourbon Street.”)
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