- The New York Times investigates Aleksey Verner and he still comes across as a wanker. Paul Collins suggests that Verner is the second coming of Hugh Gallagher.
- Jason Boog asks Áine MacDermot about investigative journalism and procures a list of helpful links.
- Hurray, film noir! And speaking of film, I saw The Departed over the weekend and hope to offer some thoughts on what this means for both Scorsese and the film business later this week.
- Housekeeping #1: For those who have emailed me on the Millenia Black story this past week, after several conversations calling into question the veracity of what has been claimed, I have decided to stop pursuing it. I have neither the time nor the inclination to proceed further — unless, of course, a reputable publication pays me to write an investigative article. But if you remain curious as to the why, Lynne Scanlon comes the closest in her speculations.
- Housekeeping #2: And while we’re on the subject of overblown publishing industry scandals, a big amen to Miss Snark for her thoughts on L’Affaire Armstrong.
- Jim Holt quibbles over Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion, but Mr. Asher finds problems within Mr. Holt’s review.
- Anthony Grafton on the history of academic charisma — specifically, William Clark’s book on the subject.
- Patrick Kurp reviews Richard Powers’ The Echo Maker.
- Are awards the death knell for literary culture? (via Bookninja)
- RIP Jane Wyatt.
- Poppy Z. Brite on planning out her novel. (via Chasing Ray)
- You say that Oprah is a thoughtful television show? Think again.
- At 64, Harrison Ford is “fit enough” to star as Indiana Jones. And by “fit,” Spielberg assures us that he’s only using the walker on weekends.
- Robert Bly will receive $775,000 for his personal archives. Memo to University of Minnesota: you can have my personal archives for the low, low price of $235,000. And you can pay 10% of this with a lifetime supply of Tootsie Roll Pops. Get in touch with my attorney.
- Is ghostwriting where the real money’s at?
- Video of Chris Ware at the Wisconsin Book Festival.
- You make the call: Does Tanenhaus thinks bloggers are dickheads? (Perhaps penis-shaped brownies are the remedy here.)
- Lauren Cerand on how important bloggers are to publicity.
- As yet unpublished in the States (a solecism for which this Faber fan hopes some publisher will atone for), John Barlow takes a look at Michael Faber’s The Apple.
- Stephen King: MoveOn pitchman.
Roundup
– October 23, 2006Posted in: Roundup
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. (
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. (
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