Maya Angelou reciting “Still I Rise“–in case you’re feeling be-Job-ed today and need of the consolation of literature or if you have doubts about the existence of true poetry in the present age. (Printed text of the poem is here.)
Still I Rise
The World According to John
Here is a helpful User’s Guide to John Irving from the good people over at Hazlitt–it should be all you need in order to tackle Irving’s newest novel, Avenue of Mysteries. This slightly disheartened take on what it’s like to re-read Irving is worth a look.
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Kitty Lit
If you find cat hair in a book you checked out of the Novorossiysk Library, don’t worry. It belongs to the newest librarian. Kuzya the cat started off as a pet at the Russian library but was promoted after patronage increased due to his presence. The new library assistant even wears a bow tie.
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The Real Africa
“In Colombia, Mexico, Nigeria, Mozambique, it’s the real thing, not magic, and the only way to tell these stories.” Man Booker International Prize finalist Mia Couto discusses the label “magic realism,” the death of Cecil the lion, his new novel Confession of the Lioness – one of the most anticipated books of 2015, and post-civil war Mozambique. Pair with Philip Graham’s Millions essay on Couto’s fiction.
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Best American Books On Sale
Pretty good deal on Amazon today: All the e-book versions of the “Best American” books are $1.99.
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Secret Lives of Mascots
The story of the rise and fall of New York Mets mascot Mrs. Met is like a kind of Christ narrative. Here’s something of an elegy for the original Mrs. Met from Sadie Stein over at The Paris Review. Here are a couple of other Millions pieces on America’s favorite pastime.
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Life and Fate
Kenneth Branagh and David Tennant star in an eight-hour dramatization of Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman. Completed in 1960, and centered around the bloody battle of Stalingrad, the novel was deemed so dangerous by the KGB that the book itself was arrested. BBC’s excited, and all the episodes are available to download.
Pure poetry? You’ve got to be kidding me. Pure garbage is more like it. Maya Angelou is exactly what is wrong with today’s poetry.
Dear Mr. YoJohnny,
How delightful to have such eloquent, intelligent, and civil readers as you. My warmest regards to you and my best wishes for lovely day, Emily