Gordon Willis, the celebrated cinematographer who worked on The Godfather films and Annie Hall, passed away Sunday at the age of 82. The Paris Review has posted a short “In Memoriam,” which serves as both a wonderful introduction to the work of this artist and a knowing celebration of his work, complete with a video of Manhattan‘s bridge scene and an interview with Willis himself.
In Memoriam: Gordon Willis
Rereading
"I’ve come to understand that I’ll rarely experience that first rush of discovery again, and perhaps that’s the problem with re-reading. It reminds us both of where we’ve been and where we can’t go again." Sarah Seltzer wonders why do we reread books as children but not as adults? Pair with Lisa Levy's essay on "The Pleasures and Perils of Rereading."
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The Essence of Slouching
Need some inspiration? These quotes from Joan Didion are sure to make your day. Picked by noted Ayn Rand scholar Mallory Ortberg, they include such gems as “I’m from Sacramento, but it’s honestly not a big deal” and “California doesn’t remind me of the apocalypse at all.”
“The equal of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Turgenev”
Recommended Reading: Eileen Battersby on a new translation of the Russian writer Nikolai Leskov.
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An Interview With Helen DeWitt
Helen DeWitt talks to Bookforum about the origins of her long (as in really long!)-awaited second novel, Lightning Rods.
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A Modest Debut
Adam Levin, author of the years-in-the-making The Instructions, steps into the spotlight.
Mini Anthology, Major Writers
Ninth Letter recently launched "Only Silence Will Never Betray You," a mini-anthology of contemporary Bulgarian writers. Editor-at-Large Philip Graham introduces the five writers: Ivayla Alexandrova, Bistra Andreeva, Nikolai Grozni, Georgi Gospodinov, and Marin Bodakov. From our archives: our 2013 interview with Grozni.
Sick and Wrong
Recommended Reading: Dan Kois on his favorite books of the year. On Alissa Nutting's Tampa, he writes: “Tampa mixes deadpan social satire, lurid true-crime storytelling, and out-and-out porn into a poisonous stew.”
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Slouching Towards Summer
From "A Prayer For Maintaining At Least A Tenuous Hold On My Sanity" to "A Prayer for My Wrecked Bladder," here are five prayers whispered by a first-year teacher as the school year slouches to a finish.
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