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The Longest Chapter

The Longest Chapter

Literary fiction, poetry, first editions, classics…

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Category: Memoir

National Book Awards 2019 Finalists

October 10, 2019 ~ The Longest Chapter ~ 3 Comments

Twenty-five nominees in five categories made it from the longlist to the shortlist of the National Book Awards. Here's a look at three of them, and also one that didn't make the cut but has an interesting scandal going on in Norway.

Two summer books not to be overlooked

August 15, 2019 ~ The Longest Chapter

So many summer books, so little time. You'll be sorry, though, if you missed these two.

A powerful memoir that reverses time

July 19, 2019 ~ The Longest Chapter ~ 2 Comments

In "The Photographer at Sixteen," British poet and translator George Szirtes recalls his mother's turbulent life during World War II, the Hungarian Revolution and her final years in England. It's impressive and captivating.

“Let her tell it as she sees it.”

July 9, 2019 ~ The Longest Chapter

Françoise Gilot’s memoir of her 10 years with Pablo Picasso, published in 1964, was met with praise and controversy. The best-seller is now back in print. Here’s what “Life With Picasso” is about and why critics praised and criticized it.

A cow book by an Irish farmer’s son

June 18, 2019 ~ The Longest Chapter

Take time this summer to enjoy a moving memoir by John Connell, a story about returning home to the family farm in Ireland.

The 100 Best Novels in Translation

March 15, 2019 ~ The Longest Chapter ~ 6 Comments

We depend on translators to bring us the world's literature. We also depend on them to make the right decisions on how to bring a novel to life, wrestling with fidelity to the original versus comprehension for the reader. This book is not only a list, but a guide to those who do this marvelous work.

The value of private letters

November 28, 2018November 29, 2018 ~ The Longest Chapter ~ 6 Comments

The new Melissa McCarthy movie about Lee Israel's crime of literary forgery hit too close to home. Here's why.

A book that left its mark

September 13, 2018 ~ The Longest Chapter ~ 4 Comments

Brian Evenson’s Bookmarked personal narrative is about Raymond Carver’s short stories. I couldn’t put it down. If you love books about writers, or love to write and edit, you’ll love this, too.

The lost art of authors’ photos

August 30, 2018August 30, 2018 ~ The Longest Chapter ~ 1 Comment

Oh for authors' photos that used to be on the backs of books. They were so styled and intriguing, compelling us to wonder about the person who created the book. Here are some great ones.

Living the Russian language

July 18, 2018 ~ The Longest Chapter

Laura Esther Wolfson's collected essays tell the story of her life as a translator and interpreter. They are as creative and memorable as the book's title, "For Single Mothers Working as Train Conductors."

21 good books for the summer

June 21, 2018June 21, 2018 ~ The Longest Chapter

On the advent of the longest day of the year and the true beginning of summer, here's a list of books to cherry pick for your summer reading. They are riveting, involving, devastating or simply delightfully satisfying. But if you're looking for new releases, they're not here.

Why “Black Boy” still matters

February 27, 2018May 11, 2018 ~ The Longest Chapter

Published in 1945, Richard Wright's classic childhood autobiography vividly reveals what it was like growing up black and poor in the Jim Crow South long before the Civil Rights Movement. It’s an unsentimental but moving and distressing travel back in time that should not be missed.

The power of books and giving one’s time

February 13, 2018 ~ The Longest Chapter

The beauty of this memoir lies in large part with Kuo's soul-searching about the Mississippi Delta region.

My most given books

December 8, 2017 ~ The Longest Chapter ~ 4 Comments

A comment during an interview with author Mark Helprin turned my thinking to the books I’ve given most as gifts. Here they are.

My two favorite memoirs this year

October 6, 2017October 30, 2017 ~ The Longest Chapter ~ 2 Comments

Benjamin Taylor and Joyce Johnson lived dramatically different young lives, but their stories similarly and movingly capture two iconic times in history: the Beat Movement and November 22, 1963.

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All Sides Weekend Books: Next Show

I’ll be recommending books on Friday, July 15, 2022 at 11 a.m. You can stream the live show online, sign up for the podcast, or listen from the archives at the NPR member station WOSU 89.7 FM. All Sides Weekend Books airs the third Friday every month with occasional exceptions.

Recommended June 17, 2022

Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark
Hotel de Dream by Edmund White
Catch the Sparrow by Rachel Rear
The Lunar Housewife by Caroline Woods

Recommended May 20, 2022

Gentleman Overboard by Herbert Clyde Lewis
Uncommon Measure by Natalie Hodges
Five Decembers by James Kestrel

Recommended April 22, 2022

The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz
The Dolphin House by Audrey Schulman
Where Rivers Change Direction by Mark Spragg
Pyre by Perumal Murugan

Recommended March 18, 2022

In His Own Image by Jérôme Ferrari
The Great Passion by James Runci
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

Recommended February 18, 2022

The Vanished Collection by Pauline Baer de Perignon
Yonder by Jabari Asim
The Balkan Trilogy by Olivia Manning

Recommended January 21. 2022

Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson
The Pages by Hugo Hamilton
Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor

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