Recommended Reading: “The Loneliness of Certain American States” by Catherine Lacey.
“Godfather? Me?”
That Used To Be You
"The day you follow me to that mound of oyster shells on the beach is the day I realize muscle and bone have been at war for a long, long time." The Saturday Rumpus essay by Ashley Inguanta is tender and poetic. Some past iterations are also well-worth a revisit.
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Fleshing Out “The Man”
Luke Epplin examines the life and legacy of Stan “The Man” Musial, who died last week. In particular Epplin takes issue with how well-intentioned biographers have, over the years, “effectively turned Musial into a cardboard cutout, a bygone era's one-dimensional paragon of constancy, stability, community fealty, and humility, devoid of the temperamental shadings that humanize public figures.”
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Carver and Lish, Revisited
On the heels of our recent look at the dynamic between Raymond Carver and Gordon Lish, a close reading of versions of Carver's stories, with and without Lish's editorial involvement.
Drinking Heavy Cream
That writing and coffee go hand in hand is no surprise, but drinking heavy cream from a coffee mug? That's a little unusual, even for Agatha Christie. Flavorwire has collected 9 of the oddest food rituals of famous writers, and their list pairs well with this infographic on writing and snacks, and with Seth Sawyers's Millions essay on food and reading, "Because I, Too, Am Hungry."