Books To Jump Up and Down Over
The Call by Yannick Murphy: The always interesting author of Here They Come and Signed, Mata Hari returns with a novel that whips up a worldview from a rather quirky set of limitations: namely, the call logs that a veterinarian maintains as his son is unexpectedly put into a coma and an unforgiving economy denies him work. What emerges is a surprisingly optimistic, often funny, and very moving account on how one family uses acceptance and forgiveness as a way to atone for hard knocks. (Bat Segundo interview with Murphy)
Birds of Paradise by Diana Abu-Jaber: Forget Franzen and Eugenides. If you're looking for a social novel that counts, Diana Abu-Jaber is the author you're looking for. Building from the free-form exploration of consciousness and identity in Crescent and the gripping procedural structure of Origin, Abu-Jaber's latest novel is her finest, equally fluent with gutterpunk culture and smarmy real estate men. It has been suggested by The Washington Post's Ron Charles that you will likely gain some pounds while reading this novel. This is certainly true. Abu-Jaber's description of food is so precise that it often made me want to do more cooking. But I very much admired the way in which Abu-Jaber presents all her characters as unwitting victims of rough capitalism, which permits them some dignity even as they perform terrible acts.
The Last of the Live Nude Girls by Sheila McClear: This memoir isn't so much about the decline of the Times Square peepshow, as it is about one young woman's efforts to pull herself up by by her bootstraps when presented with few economic options. Filled with self-introspective candor and a quiet dignity, McClear's story is one that might befall any of us in these volatile times. While McClear does get back on her feet, her book leads one contemplating the terrible fates of other young women now moving to New York and falling into deadlier vocations. (Bat Segundo interview with McClear)
Kraft, Eric Archive
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The Bat Segundo Show: Eric Kraft
Posted on April 9, 2009 | No CommentsOne of the difficulties of managing so many projects is that I continue to forget that I am committing some of these conversations to video. So I must now atone... -
The Bat Segundo Show: Eric Kraft, Part Three
Posted on March 9, 2009 | 4 CommentsEric Kraft appeared on The Bat Segundo Show #270. Eric Kraft is most recently the author of Flying. This is the third of a three part conversation with Kraft about... -
The Bat Segundo Show: Eric Kraft, Part Two
Posted on March 9, 2009 | No CommentsEric Kraft appeared on The Bat Segundo Show #269. Eric Kraft is most recently the author of Flying. This is the second of a three part conversation with Kraft about... -
Flying Roundtable: Stage Five
Posted on March 6, 2009 | 6 Comments(This is the fifth of a five-part roundtable discussion of Eric Kraft’s Flying. Part One, Part Two, Part Three, and Part Four can also be read. Many thanks to Eric... -
Flying Roundtable: Stage Four
Posted on March 5, 2009 | 6 Comments(This is the fourth of a five-part roundtable discussion of Eric Kraft’s Flying. Part One, Part Two, Part Three, and Part Five can be read here.) Edward Champion writes: “There... -
Flying Roundtable: Stage Three
Posted on March 4, 2009 | 4 Comments(This is the third of a five-part roundtable discussion of Eric Kraft’s Flying. Part One, Part Two, Part Four, and Part Five can also be read.) Kathleen Maher writes: Regarding... -
The Bat Segundo Show: Eric Kraft, Part One
Posted on March 3, 2009 | No CommentsEric Kraft appeared on The Bat Segundo Show #268. Eric Kraft is most recently the author of Flying. This is the first of a three part conversation with Kraft about... -
Flying Roundtable: Stage Two
Posted on March 3, 2009 | 7 Comments(This is the second of a five-part roundtable discussion of Eric Kraft’s Flying. Part One, Part Three, Part Four, and Part Five can also be read.) Matt Cheney writes: I’m... -
Flying Roundtable: Stage One
Posted on March 2, 2009 | 9 Comments(This is the first of a five-part roundtable discussion of Eric Kraft’s Flying. Here’s Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, and Part Five.) Introduction This week marks the release of... -
The Appeal of Babbington
Posted on February 20, 2009 | 3 Comments -
Roundtable Discussion: Eric Kraft’s FLYING
Posted on February 16, 2009 | 2 CommentsBeginning on March 2, 2009, this website will be kickstarting a lengthy roundtable discussion of Eric Kraft’s Flying over the course of the week. (For those hoping to follow along... -
Putter Patter Silver Platter
Posted on December 11, 2003 | 2 CommentsHugh Hefner plans to auction off his black books. Among the entries? “Big blonde from ‘Wild Women of Wongo.’” Brian Stillman remembers Hal Clement. Stories from Eric Kraft at The...