Alice Bolin writes for The Believer about Joan Didion, Los Angeles, and Play It As It Lays. The novel was also listed as one of The Millions‘s “Burnt-out Summer Reads,” so if there’s ever a time to read it, it’s probably now.
Burnt-out with Didion
Festivities
Recommended Reading: Alex Preston on Milan Kundera’s first novel in fifteen years.
Xerxes, Xystus, and Xanthippe
What did the letter X stand for before xylophones and x-rays? Past examples include historical figures, plants, and animals, all mostly of a Greek bent.
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Two Newly-Discovered Sappho Poems
A researcher unearthed two never-before-seen poems by Sappho. To fans of Classics and Greek poetry, this is bigger than the surprise release of Beyoncé’s secret album.
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Shirley Jackson: Great American Novelist?
Laura Miller at Salon explains why she would choose the novels and stories of Shirley Jackson to be stuck with in an isolated cabin over those of Roth, Cheever or Carver.
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Angela Merkel Vs. Google Books
On the eve of the Frankfurt Book Fair, German Chancellor Angela Merkel took the opportunity to express her concern that Google Books threatens the rights of authors and potentially violates copyright laws, BusinessWeek reports.
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Accepting Rejection
Rejection is a part of growth. Kim Liao argues why writers should aim for one hundred rejections a year. To prepare for your one hundred rejections, let literary magazine editors tell you their thoughts on rejection letters.