Christopher Michel discusses The Secret History of Vladimir Nabokov – a book that challenges the long-held consensus that Nabokov was merely an aesthete.
Necessary Nabokov
Paging through the end of summer
Now that summer's nearly over (I know, I know, but I'm looking forward to fall. As if you can blame me) there's a history of summer reading in the Boston Globe. And if you're looking to squeeze in a good summery book this weekend, we've still got you covered, with our list of literary sizzlers. Get 'em while it's hot.
Big Names, New eBooks
A pair of big-name writers have new shorter-form ebook originals out. Stephen King's Guns is a "pulls-no-punches essay" about gun violence in America, with all proceeds going to Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Meanwhile, Richard Russo has a new novella, Nate in Venice.
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The Pen Reveals
What does handwriting tell us about its author? The Atlantic investigates. Our own Kevin Hartnett explains why he writes by hand.
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War Stories
Over at The Rumpus, Caleb Cage interviewed Year in Reading alumnus Phil Klay about wars and human nature.
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Geoff Dyer on Novelistic Essays and Essayistic Novels
Need to kill 37 minutes? Check out "The Novelistic Essay and the Essayistic Novel,” a lecture by Geoff Dyer from this past year’s Key West Literary Summit. (h/t Mark O’Connell)
Prepare for Departure
What's the best book Mary Roach has read recently? Tim Johnston's first novel, Descent: "I read the last 30 pages in an airport, 10 feet from the gate, and did not notice the boarding announcements. I missed my flight for literature." Bonus: Here's Roach's interview with The Millions from a couple of years back.
Obituary for Karl Miller
RIP Karl Miller, one of the founders of The London Review of Books and an editor of the magazine for thirteen years. Originally meant to fill a vacuum left by a strike at the Times Literary Supplement, the LRB grew into “the liveliest, the most serious and also the most radical literary magazine we have,” in Alan Bennett’s words.
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