OK, it’s not exactly “literary,” but nevertheless I promise that “Upworthy Springfield” is worth your time.
He Linked To A Site That Wasn’t Literary. What Happened Next Will Shock You.
Booksellers React to Borders’ Bankruptcy
Half of all restaurants that open close,” WORD owner Christine Onorati says. On the other hand, Red Lemonade publisher Richard Nash hopes former Borders employees can find ways to continue “operating as the matchmakers of the book ecosystem.”
Things to Clear Up
A couple months ago, Melville House published a biography of Roberto Bolaño, constructed from interviews the author gave throughout his life. At Full-Stop, Andrew Mitchell Davenport reads the biography, suggesting that the preponderance of myths about the author “makes elucidating Bolaño’s biography a moral issue.” Pair with: our own Garth Risk Hallberg’s Bolaño syllabus.
Plight of the Loser
Curiosities: Alternative Punctuation
Newsweek names “The Most Dangerous Man in Publishing.”Adam Kirsch interviewed about his new bio of Benjamin Disraeli.”Daily Routines: How writers, artists, and other interesting people organize their days.” (via Jacket Copy)David Horvitz discovers several pages of his writing in this year’s Dave Eggers-edited Best American Nonrequired Reading. He was not told that his work (pulled from his website) would be appearing in the book. Now he is peeved and has made several demands. (No permalinks, so check out the long Dec. 9 entry.) (Thanks Buzz)The LA Times unveils its Favorite Books 2008.Google’s year-end “Zeitgeist” of 2008 search activity. Breaking Dawn the unsurprising top search.Recently discovered aggregators of quality content: The Browser and Give Me Something to Read.This week’s Wikipedia treat: a gem of alternative punctuation: the “irony mark.” In the history section of that entry, take note of the “doubt point, certitude point, acclamation point, authority point, indignation point, and love point.”Scott gets to the bottom of the striking new cover designs on Dalkey Archive Press’ books.NPR features an excerpt from Firmin, a Millions favorite (and former LBC pick) that is soon to be published in a new edition by Delta, a Random House imprint.The Association of American Publishers teams with several celebs to create BooksAreGreatGifts.com and accompanying YouTube vid. “Books make great gifts because they are an amazing way to kill time while your web site is buffering.” – Jon Stewart. (thanks Laurie)
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Like This Passage?
Ad-driven e-books may be something we’ll all have to deal with in the future. At the Melville House blog, Dustin Kurtz explains why ads that pop up while a person is reading might well be an inevitable development. (If you’re like me, your reaction to this is simple: ugh.)
Allan Seager’s Place in the Canon
John Warner‘s great uncle Allan Seager wrote a short story “etched permanently into the American consciousness in a way even Hemingway can’t match.” In this marvelous essay, Warner investigates the writer’s inspiration and legacy.
Brow Raised
Not highbrow, not lowbrow, not even middlebrow – is American culture now dominated by the upper middle brow?
a.) Could you be living next to a chain-saw killer? One little boy’s rear-window peepshow of horror!
b.)She tried
Oops, premature “submit” I have clearly watched too many “Simpsons” episodes. This could be addictive.
b.) She tried to tell them that jazz was in her heart, but all they could say was “Cease the sax, little gal!”
c.) “They told me I could stay forever,” sobs ousted WWII vet. Sad story from Springfield’s own King Lear.
d.) Stateless. Sad stories of the undocumented animated. Where do they come from? Where are they going?
e.) OUTCAST! The horror of a Five-Fingered Freak.
e.)
Realize mine aren’t as relentlessly perky and upbeat as true “Upworthy” candidates, but I just can’t resist the writing style!