“But money is not neutral; it changes everything, including the ability to neutrally judge what people will or will not do for it.” Zadie Smith has a short essay in the New Yorker on the trials of lending money to a friend.
Zadie Smith on Charity
Long lazy gainfully-employed summer
Recommended reading: “I am seventeen years old, and getting drunk is still a novelty. It has only recently occurred to me that my mother won’t think to check my breath if I’m coming straight home from work.” An amazing reminisce of summer employment from The Rumpus. Pair with: The New Yorker on why summer makes us lazy, and an ice-cold beer.
Inspirational Infographic
This week in book-related infographics: “Inspirational Quotes from Literature” by authors ranging from Leo Tolstoy to Ernest Hemingway to J.K. Rowling, all handily grouped by theme.
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Song of Ourselves
After a Boston attorney banned the publication of Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman set out to defend the book, arguing that the sex that earned the book censorship was an integral part of the experience he wanted to convey. In an essay for Salon, John Marsh examines Whitman’s defense in light of the content of his work, exploring the ways in which he upset Puritan mores. You could also read our own Michael Bourne on how Walt Whitman saved his life.
Disturbing the Book Reviews
Over at The New York Times, our own Garth Risk Hallberg reviews A. M. Homes’ May We Be Forgiven. And in October, so did we.
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Forrest Gander’s Reading List
Recent Pulitzer Prize-winner Forrest Gander offers a curated poetry reading list that includes C.D. Wright and Arthur Sze.
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The Philosopher’s Lunch
“Another example of Chomsky humour: he calls his assistant’s dog, ‘Cat.'” Financial Times sits down for a meal with linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky.
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