“I’ve spent my whole professional life swirling the eddies of the margins… What I want right now is to see my book in an airport. Then in a couple of years everyone will figure out that I’m too esoteric, and I’ll be back…” The New York Times posts a curious interview with the unconventional Jaimy Gordon, winner of this year’s National Book Award.
An Interview with Jaimy Gordon
A Seminal Work
Over at The Literary Hub, real-life writer Anthony Marra has conducted a hilarious interview with Dana Schwartz, the creative mind behind everyone’s favorite–if uncomfortably familiar–Twitter account, @GuyInYourMFA. Here’s the New York Times review of Marra’s latest novel, The Tsar of Love and Techno.
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Illustrating Finnegans Wake
Wake In Progress is a blog that records one artist’s “foolhardy attempt to illustrate Finnegans Wake.” (via The Rumpus)
Geoff Dyer on Garry Winogrand
Year in Reading alum Geoff Dyer takes a fascinating look at two photographers – Garry Winogrand and Tod Papageorge – who happened to photograph the same thing at the same time, but wound up producing wildly different images.
Amazon Shows Off ‘Kindle for the Web’
Amazon is battling the multi-platform capabilities of Google's new ebookstore with its new "Kindle for the Web." The demo makes it look pretty easy on the eyes. Kindle books were already accessible on a number of mobile platforms. What's new here is taking the Kindle capabilities to the PC.
In the Frame
Photographers who are tired of weddings should start shooting book covers. When New Directions asked to use one of Allen Frame's photos for the cover of Robert Bolaño's Last Evenings on Earth, he gave them access to his archive instead. Today, nine Frame photos have been used on Bolaño book covers. You can view them here or at New York City's Gitterman Gallery.
The Contrived
It’s a common saying among actors that the script does most of the work. Which raises an interesting question: is it possible for a great writer to make art out of a bad story? At The Kenyon Review’s blog, Amit Majmudar says it is, using Shakespeare as proof. Related: five experts on the Bard’s greatest plays.
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