I could explain to you who Catherine was, or I could let you watch Picador’s book trailer for Ronald Frame’s Havisham and let you find out for yourself. The latter seems like much more fun.
Catherine Havisham. Earlier.
Men of the Stacks
A group of male librarians is "attempting to overthrow the cliché of the bespectacled, permanently shushing female library worker" with the publication of a Calendar Girls-style calendar, Men of the Stacks.
●
●
Literary Maps of Another Kind
In anticipation of Adam Sternbergh’s novel, Shovel Ready, Chris Bilton and Sarah Liss collaborated on “the ultimate N.Y.C. dystopia map,” which serves as an amalgamation of “some of the darkest visions of the city.” Meanwhile, Jacob Silverman points us to a map of St. Petersburg, Russia, "made out of lines from Russian literature.” (Bonus: Sternbergh discusses his novel with the Los Angeles Times.)
Following Up on Tolkien’s Beowulf
Just because Beowulf's influence on Tolkien isn't news doesn't mean the publication of J.R.R. Tolkien's translation of the epic poem this week isn't exciting. But while Tolkien's name alone may be enough for the serious fan, Ethan Gilsdorf at the New York Times has given general readers an introduction to the history of the new translation complete with some insight into Tolkien's love of the epic poem.
●
●
Staying and Staying and Staying
"It’s interesting to me now how many lawyers I’ve published. There’s something about the retelling, the assembling of a logical arc, about planting the clues and so forth that is believable and compelling. There’s a similarity in the way your mind needs to work, too. The logical progression of the narrative, the planting clues, the revelations and also just imbuing it with the emotional truth of the moment. That’s what a fiction writer has to do." An interview with editor and literary gatekeeper Lee Boudreaux.
●
●
●
●
Weekend Prizewinners
Next by James Hynes has been named the winner of The Believer Book Award, and it was announced Friday that Thomas Teal’s translation from the Swedish of Tove Jansson’s The True Deceiver took home the Best Translated Book Award. The book was competing with a shortlist of ten novels in translation.
●
●
Following the Writer
Over at The Toast, see what Year in Reading Alumnus Alexander Chee has to say about The Queen of the Night, his writing process, and publishing. Our own Sonya Chung’s review of his latest novel pairs nicely.
●
●