There are 13 fiction writers among the 180 Guggenheim Foundation grants recently announced for 2010. I recognized some of the authors but not all and then wondered what it means for readers considering a book by an author who's a Guggenheim Fellow.
Month: April 2010
Yoko Ogawa’s “Hotel Iris”
This is Yoko Ogawa's third book translated into English and published for American readers. Its subject of sadomasochism won't be for every reader. Ogawa is a master when it comes to illuminating human behavior, even the darkest kind. This is a powerful and transfixing story.
“The People Who Watched Her Pass By”
Scott Bradfield's new novel published by Two Dollar Radio is more commentary on modern American life than plot-driven story. Here's what it's all about.
Mary Oliver at the public podium
I heard Mary Oliver read in Cleveland Tuesday night at the Ohio Theater Playhouse Square. I never in my life thought I'd get to see her read, let alone get her signature on my books, because I'd always read Mary Oliver remained a step back from the public eye. And then here I was at her public reading.
New books to anticipate
Seven new books to be published in May and June include espionage fiction and a biography of William Somerset Maugham. Also, highly anticipated by 'moi' is Sloane Crosley's new essays, because she makes me laugh. Here's the list.
Poets as literary heroes
"A Scattering" by Christopher Reid is 62 pages of moving poetry -- a tribute to Reid's wife who died in 2005. It's a worthy and very satisfying collection to read during April, National Poetry Month.
Kerouac’s “On the Road” blooms
Put a novel in the hands of a data artist and the prose becomes a visual feast. That's what I discovered when I landed on Stefanie Posavec's website. Her Writing Without Words project includes "On the Road," interpreted into colorful data maps.
The Longest Chapter 