Hanya Yanagihara, the author of A Little Life, writes on reenacting a version of John Cheever’s short story “The Swimmer” by swimming across Martha’s Vineyard. As she explains it, “Swimming in the ocean is writing a novel; swimming in a pond is writing in a diary.” Pair with Nick Ripatrazone’s Millions essay on Cheever’s classic story.
Swimming Across the Island
Stranger Danger
Siglio Press has just come out with a book version of Sophie Calle's The Address Book, excerpts of which can be seen at The New Yorker.
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Wilkinson on Larsen
At the Washington Times, Emily Colette Wilkinson reviews Reif Larsen's The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet.
Reading’s Benefits
This week in book-related infographics: Electric Literature takes a look at all the benefits of reading, from stress reduction to generally becoming a better person.
Eyes to See
“'These issues are constantly being brought to the surface in Roman literature, if you have eyes to see them,' Beard said. 'And, of course, having eyes to see them—that’s what the trick is.'” Rebecca Mead writes for the New Yorker about Mary Beard, the Cambridge classicist famous for her BBC programs on Roman life and for her handling of online harassment. For more from Beard, check out her interview with the Los Angeles Review of Books about the importance of the classics, and for more about online negativity, head to Salon's article on "Why female writers get trolled the most."
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“The Ukraine is Weak!”
Ever wonder why some countries get a fancy “the” in front of their names?
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