In a sea of Best Book lists, LitHub spoke to 40 booksellers about the most overlooked titles of 2017. On the list? Emil Ferris’s My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, which was featured in Emily St. John Mandel‘s Year in Reading.
The Forgotten Forty
LA Times Lays Off Reviewers
The Los Angeles Times book review laid off its entire staff of freelance book reviewers.
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Jamison on Lila
"Robinson resists the notion of love as an easy antidote to a lifetime of suffering or solitude, suggesting that intimacy can’t intrude on loneliness without some measure of pain." Leslie Jamison reviews Marilynne Robinson's latest novel, Lila, which was recently longlisted for the National Book Award.
Sarah Ruhl brings Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell to the stage
Poet turned playwright Sarah Ruhl's latest stage production, Dear Elizabeth, is based on the correspondence between Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell. She recently spoke to Ruth Graham about her inspiration, and whether other writers' letters could be adapted for the stage as well. (As an aside: you really should read The Clean House if you haven't already.)
Arab Authors on Twitter
If you woke up this morning and thought, "You know, I could use more Arab authors on my Twitter feed," then boy do I have the link for you.
New Story by Bobbie Ann Mason
Recommended Reading: “Whale Love” by Bobbie Ann Mason and Meg Pokrass.
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Kafka’s “The Country Doctor” as a film
The internet's repository of Franz Kafka-inspired literary treats seems to have no bounds. This latest: his excellent short story "The Country Doctor" has been adapted by Japanese filmmaker Kōji Yamamura into a 20-minute animated film (subtitled). Kafka adaptations clearly aren't going anywhere. Pair with our essay on the subtle art of rereading his most famous story.
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