Recommended Reading: Two poems – “Bottle Curve” and “Self-Portrait as Q Source” – by Justin Carter.
“Tell me: am I too distant”
The Leonine Vladimir Sorokin
Now online: PEN World Voices video of Keith Gessen interviewing Vladimir Sorokin, author of the just-released Ice Trilogy and Day of the Oprichnik. I was a little nonplussed by the Times' decision to begin its profile of Sorokin with a discussion of his hair, but really...it is quite something. Come for the mane, stay for the acerbic insights.
Mia Couto Wins Neustadt Prize
Amazon or perish?
ICYMI: After Hachette writers banded together behind their publisher (piles of tweets, an author petition (pdf), a perplexing Malcolm Gladwell YouTube clip, and of course our own Edan Lepucki in Stephen Colbert's pre-order campaign), Amazon proposed giving authors "100% of proceeds" from ebooks -- that's including Hachette's share -- while they hashed things out. You gotta admire that gumption. Halfway around the world, a French court order just banned free delivery for discounted book orders--so Amazon now charges one cent. Also: they've got drones. The Times concludes that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
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Hat in Hand
Did you know that there are five (5) easy (and affordable!) ways to support The Millions? Find out more!
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2010 Giller longlist announced
The longlist for Canada's 2010 Scotiabank Giller Prize has been announced. Notable omissions: "Ilustrado by Montreal’s Miguel Syjuco, which won the Man Asian Literary Award before it was even published; Beatrice and Virgil, Yann Martel’s first novel since his breakthrough Life of Pi; and, most notably, Room by Emma Donoghue, which was recently shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize."
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