Ever since our literary Tumblr round-up, we’ve been inundated with suggestions for a Part 2. Well, I can assure you, the “Least Helpful” Tumblr dedicated to awful Amazon and Goodreads reviews would make that cut if (and when) that sequel appears. (Hat tip to our own Lydia Kiesling for the link.)
“Hate books written in the 1st person”
A Library Without Walls
Robert Darnton at the New York Review of Books considers the feasibility of creating a National Digital Library: “I know: the devil can cite Jefferson. Anyone can cull through the papers of the Founding Fathers in order to find quotations in support of a cause. But I can’t resist.”
Worse than the Delaware
You may have heard that The Paris Review Daily is recapping Dante’s Inferno. This week, Alexander Aciman guides readers through Canto 8, better known as the Canto in which Dante crosses the river Styx.
“Beck has published nine books since 2008”
Laurie Winer's exploration of Glenn Beck's literary career is sure to raise some eyebrows.
The Forgotten Forty
In a sea of Best Book lists, LitHub spoke to 40 booksellers about the most overlooked titles of 2017. On the list? Emil Ferris's My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, which was featured in Emily St. John Mandel's Year in Reading.
Lydia’s Advice
“Be patient – even with chaos.” Advice for the upcoming writer from Lydia Davis.
Tuesday New Release Day: Vonnegut, Russo, Wood, Springsteen, Donoghue
Even as much of the Eastern U.S. is lashed by a massive storm, we have new books this week, skewing mostly to non-fiction, including Kurt Vonnegut's collected letters, Richard Russo's memoir Elsewhere, James Wood's collection of essays The Fun Stuff, and Peter Carlin's authorized biography of Bruce Springsteen. On the fiction side is Emma Donoghue's Astray.
●
●
Late American Novel Fans
Word is there have been sightings of the book I co-edited The Late American Novel: Writers on the Future of Books in the wild, though it's officially due in March. You can keep up on all the news about the book, including events and links to excerpts on the book's new Facebook page.
●
●