The National Book Award finalists have been announced. Here's the list, plus a link to the award site.
Michael Greenberg’s happy intensity
"Beg, Borrow, Steal: A Writer's Life" is a compilation of Michael Greenberg's columns from the "Times Literary Supplement." They are funny, wise and a great joy to read.
Preview: new poetry
Marie Ponsot's "Easy" got a starred review in Publisher's Weekly. I don't know her poetry, but from what I'm reading, I want to change that.
TLC appears on Critical Mass
The National Book Critics Circle is celebrating its 35th anniversary. Guest commentary is being posted on their blog, including one from me.
Up next: the National Book Awards
The U.K. announced the winner of its prestigious Man Booker Prize. Now it's time in the U.S. for the National Book Award.
Two essays by Philip Connors
One about Norman Maclean, author of "A River Runs Through It," and one about his brother Dan, who committed suicide. Both well-written and soul-stirring.
Will Google kill used bookstores?
The owner of a used bookstore thinks it will. Plus, three books I purchased.
A surprise arrives from Paris
Two paperback books found in a book stall near Notre Dame Cathedral arrive in my mailbox.
A. S. Byatt fears the world is a dark place
My interview with A. S. Byatt is now live.
The brief silence explained
Simply put: An interview with A. S. Byatt.
“The Collector” is now off the reading table
Published in 1963, John Fowles first novel about a psychopath reflects today's news. I struggled to separate his fiction from reality.
How much would you spend on a new book?
Abbeville Press releases this month "The History of Paris in Painting." A gorgeous, expensive book.
There will be elephants
Sam Savage's second novel, "The Cry of the Sloth," is as entertaining as his first. Here's what to expect.
Bird books aren’t for birders alone
I'm gathering a small collection of bird books. Perhaps in a former life I was an ornithologist. Here are two, recently published and purchased.
Man Booker shortlist announced
Here are the six novels selected as finalists for the 2009 Man Booker Prize, the U.K.'s prestigious award for literature. They were chosen out of a Longlist of 13.
The Longest Chapter 