An election year is upon us, and at the Times, John Williams offers up some reading material for the months to come. Among the books mentioned is my favorite, Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail ’72.
Election Year Reading
Viet Thanh Nguyen’s on Exploring Parallel Lives Through Writing
Viet Thanh Nguyen discusses his newest book, The Committed, and how it allows him to explore paths in life he may have missed.
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Michael Lewis’ Man Cave
Here’s a sentence I never thought I’d type: A seersuckered Michael Lewis shows off his “man cave” for ValleyGirl.tv. You can skip ahead to 9:20 for the tour. (via)
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It’s cool, he senses the danger of genius
John Jeremiah Sullivan spoke to the Guardian about writing, Pulphead, and “finding that island of legitimacy.” And then there’s his recent NYT Magazine piece on Venus and Serena Williams.
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Fully Secure
Recommended Viewing: Atlas Obscura’s gallery of libraries in which books are chained to the shelves. (h/t The Hairpin)
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Are You Sure?
“Are you sure you need to give me that summer reading list-library flyer-academic camp brochure? Are you sure that I can’t just let my kids get dumber by 1/3rd until they come back here in the fall like we all used to?” Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do? Welcome to every teacher’s nightmare, courtesy of McSweeney’s.
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The Salmon Is Inedible
Recommended Reading: The inimitable Umberto Eco on how to travel with a salmon.