I attended Pulpfest 2011 with a list in hand of 36 colorful book titles that included "I Am a Teen-Age Dope Addict," "The Marijuana Mob" and "Reefer Girl." Here's why, and what I learned about the books, plus photos of some that came home with me.
Month: July 2011
Pick a name, write a book
Here's a collection of entertaining short biographies about writers who assumed pseudonyms as protective covers, such as the Brontë sisters, who wrote under the pen names Acton, Currer and Ellis Bell; and Eric Blair, who took the pen name George Orwell. Carmela Ciuraru's "Nom de Plume: A (Secret) History of Pseudonyms" is delightfully engaging.
A man sees a shark in a swimming pool…
Ben Loory's new "Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day" is a paperback collection of magical, fable-like stories that explore our inner-most fears and desires. They're short, enthralling and addictive.
Lies, social climbing and time travel
Here are three books that have many indications they'll be interesting, intriguing and/or entertaining. I've given brief descriptions with links to their publishers' websites for further exploring.
The Devil made them do it
Three years ago, Ohio author Donald Ray Pollock received widespread acclaim for his fictional debut, "Knockemstiff," a collection of short stories some likened to a modern-day Winesburg, Ohio, or what the New York Times quaintly referred to as "Winosburg, Ohio". His new novel is out this month, and it's another fine walk on the dark side of Ohio.
The Longest Chapter 