“In real life, we are often so bound by social convention, but at the same time we all have secret, inexplicable aspects of ourselves. The parts that nobody else sees. In fiction, we are not bound by social convention, so the things that mystify and unsettle are allowed to rise to the surface.” Salon interviews Laura van den Berg about her new novel, Find Me, which we covered in our Great 2015 Book Preview.
Rising to the Surface
Tuesday New Release Day: Adrian, Prose, Doyle, Boyd, Grant
It's a big week for literary new releases. Chris Adrian's much anticipated new novel The Great Night is now out, as is Francine Prose's My New American Life. Also new this week are Roddy Doyle's latest collection of stories, Bullfighting, and the reissue of William Boyd's impish prank of a book, Nat Tate: An American Artist. Finally, past Booker shortlister Linda Grant has a new novel out called We Had It So Good.
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“The town was called Dayton.”
Recommended Reading: Rachael Maddux’s “Hail Dayton,” which features one of the finest opening paragraphs ever printed.
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Wells Tower has a novel on the way
In a recent interview with Bookforum, Wells Tower dropped an enticing little detail about his latest project: a novel. Playing coy with the interviewer, Tower admitted only that “it will concern a family and it will contain a good number of pages.” No release date has been set at this time.
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Horrifying Mothers of the Year
You wouldn't think Grendel's mother would win any awards for being a great mom, but Oyster is giving accolades to literature's most horrifying mothers in honor of the holiday. The list also includes Madame Bovary's Emma Bovary as the most selfish mother and Pride and Prejudice's Mrs. Bennet as most nettlesome mother.
No Getting Without Giving
If Claudia Rankine writes it, it's safe to say I'd recommend it. Here she is in a long, lovely essay on Adrienne Rich and her poetic transformations.
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Findings
Is Findings.com a "social network that may actually make you smarter”?
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