Learn more about Hans Christian Andersen Award winner Cao Wenxuan. “China has given us so many heartbreaking stories. How can you avoid writing about them? I can’t sacrifice my life experience in order to make children happy.” Pair with Edan Lepucki’s piece on the grown-up counterparts to children’s stories.
Writing Heartbreak
Where to Begin
“I saw a novel with a mysterious-looking black woman on the cover. That was why I picked it up – because of the African woman on the cover of a book in the Science Fiction and Fantasy section. I read the first page and my eyes nearly popped out.” Book Riot has a killer roundup of posts in honor of Octavia Butler‘s birthday today, including five other sci-fi authors on being inspired by her writing (that’s Nnedi Okorafor above). Pair with our own Edan Lepucki‘s consideration of Butler’s novel Kindred.
Claudia Rankine on Seeking Shared Realities
Claudia Rankine discusses how her newest book of essays, poems, and images, Just Us: An American Conversation, does not seek out easy answers.
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Jonathan Lethem’s New York
At The Rumpus, Richard Greenwald writes about the novels of Jonathan Lethem, urban gentrification, and the Sisyphean feat of achieving authenticity in New York.
Where the Books Are
Ever visited a new city and found yourself in need of a bookstore? Well, if it happens again, and you’re in the US, you can just use Google Maps, which now features the locations of the country’s public libraries and bookstores. (h/t Bookforum)
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Oh, Tom Drury, how I love thee.
If you’re a fan of Tom Drury (and if you aren’t–what’s wrong with you?), you’ll be excited to know that the new short film based on his short story “Path Lights” is now online at the David Lynch Foundation. The film was directed by Zachary Sluser, and stars John Hawkes.
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