Second Hand Songs — a very helpful database for those interested in pop music antecedents.
Month / September 2007
Levi Asher on Kerouac
Levi Asher: “Why does it seem necessary to emulate Jack Kerouac’s travels in order to write about him? I’ve read much critical work on Joseph Conrad, but I’ve never yet heard a scholar claim to have first read Heart of Darkness while actually steaming up the Congo.”
I wish Levi had cited specifics about the professional critics who “still view Kerouac condescendingly when they praise him,” but I suspect he didn’t have enough space to go into detail. Overall though, it’s a nice piece, and I hope Levi expands his considerable thoughts on Kerouac elsewhere.
And You, Michiko, Are Ostensibly a Literary Critic, Not a Sleazy Hollywood Producer Pitching to Executives
Michiko Kaukutani: “Junot Díaz’s “Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” is a wondrous, not-so-brief first novel that is so original it can only be described as Mario Vargas Llosa meets ‘Star Trek’ meets David Foster Wallace meets Kanye West. “
A Query on Dysfunctional Pricing
Levi Asher is quite determined to get an answer on the subject of book pricing. Accordingly, he’s initiated the first in a lengthy series of posts attempting to wrestle with the question, with the first installment featuring Richard Nash, Mark Sarvas, and agent Scott Hoffman. I have my own considerable thoughts on the subject and hope to offer my input in the near future.
Columbia Panel: “Crisis in Book Reviewing”
On Tuesday, September 18, at 7:00 PM, a number of individuals will appear on a panel at the third-floor Lecture Hall of the Journalism Building at Columbia University. The panelists include Steve Wasserman, Peter Osnos, Elisabeth Sifton, Carlin Romano, and Mark Sarvas, and it will be moderated by CJR publisher Evan Cornog. Mark has additional details.