The New York Times Magazine published an excerpt of the latest novel by Dave Eggers. The book, titled The Circle, follows Mae Holland, a woman who takes a job at a Google-esque company dubbed “the most influential in the world.” At Reuters, Felix Salmon critiques the book’s take on Silicon Valley.
This Atrium
RIP Elie Wiesel
Elie Wiesel -- Auschwitz survivor, Nobel Laureate, political activist, and author of Night -- passed away yesterday at the age of 87. Here's a quote that perfectly captures Wiesel's essence, from his Nobel Prize acceptance speech: "I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe."
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How to Fight Hate
“Do something. In the face of hatred, apathy will be interpreted as acceptance by the perpetrators, the public and — worse — the victims. Community members must take action; if we don’t, hate persists.” The always amazing Southern Poverty Law Center has put together "Ten Ways to Fight Hate: A Community Response Guide."
Self-Absorbed
Geoff Dyer is fond of taking potshots at literary academics. He devotes considerable time in one of his novels to a professor whose speech at a conference goes off the rails. Which is why it’s odd that, in mid-July, the author showed up at a conference devoted to -- what else? -- his own work. (It's apropos to point out here that our own Mark O'Connell wrote a great essay for Slate about Dyer.)
Did You Say Sudoku
"Tsundoku: the acquiring of reading materials followed by letting them pile up and subsequently never reading them." Do you buy books and let them languish? According to Ozy, there's a Japanese word for that. Might we encourage your tsundoku habit by encouraging you to look at this list of our favorite October releases?