“I find it amusing that people think trying to read a book in a language you do not understand is the most boring activity in the world. If you are interested in how literature works, these things are interesting.” On Lydia Davis‘s interest in learning to read Norwegian literature and writing at the end of the world, from the newly-launched Lit Hub.
To Learn Norwegian
Art Beyond America
Ever wonder what vintage Indian pulp book covers would look like? How about Czech movie posters from the 1970’s? Maybe Belarusian movie posters circa 2007?
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Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Recommended Reading: Poet David Biespiel writes for The Rumpus about his early education as a poet and discovering that language can never be neutral.
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Tayari Jones on Toni Morrison and Homer
Tayari Jones lists the most influential books of her life, ranging from Jesmyn Ward and Homer to Ann Petry and David Chariandy.
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Appearing Elsewhere
My (very) short story “Pretzel Girl” is up at FiveChapters; it’s part of their second annual Infinite Chapters series, wherein a story is posted each day for a little over two weeks. So far, there are stories by Paul Yoon and Jami Attenberg, among others.
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Unpredictable Prestige
In 1929 readers ventured that John Galsworthy was the author most likely to be read in 100 years. Why were they so wrong?
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Lay Down Your Arms
Growing up, I was always taught that chickens lay eggs and people lie down. Since then, I’ve always been irritated by that verb’s misuse. But maybe it’s time to settle down and relax. Maybe, as Kathryn D. Blanchard argues, it’s time to stop “clinging to values that no longer serve their purposes.”
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