BBC: “A newly-published play by a man acknowledged to be one of the world’s worst poets has been savaged by literary historians….When the hero Jack reveals himself he refers to the Kent town of which he comes and says ‘I am Jack of Sandwich’,’ Dr Carruthers said. ‘It’s pure Crackerjack.'”
Year / 2006
Roundup
- James Ellroy, as every literary person knows, is insane. In fact, he’s so insane that a bestselling novelist, who wasn’t exactly the beacon of mental health himself, once told me that he was frightened of him. But the publicist who got Ellroy into the same room as Deborah Solomon is brilliant.
- Mr. Dan Wickett, the indefatigable man behind Emerging Writers Network, has launched Dzanc Books with a certain Steve Gillis. But now he has first title: a short story collection called Roy Kesey’s All Over, which will be published in October 2007. I’m definitely looking forward to reading this.
- Paul Auster on writing.
- If you need a little funny before tomorrow’s elections, which seem to be stressing me out as I prepare for the possibility of two more years of total Republican control, look no further than Buster Keaton’s “One Week,” featuring perhaps the best policeman kick in cinematic history (just after the famous motorcycle gag).
- The ULA now has a book review blog. I was going to dismiss it, but any book review site passionate about Upton Sinclair can’t be all bad.
- If you’re in Los Angeles, the world’s biggest Richard Ford fan, Tod Goldberg, will be interviewing Ford on Wednesday night. This is the guy who not only drove 300 miles to see Ford, but who left his sick-as-a-dog S.O. to do it. That’s hardcore. I mean. That’s hardcore. Hell, even I wouldn’t do that. So you can imagine that this will be a particularly exuberant conversation.
- Rupert Everett’s memoir sold for £1 million and has only sold 15,000 copies. Other fascinating flops here. (via Bookninja)
- Has Sin City 2 been canned?
- A strange advertising deal between Google and newspapers.
- The first ten minutes of the absolutely terrible Chevy Chase Show. How bad is it? Well, within the first minute, he talks in a high-pitched voice and sets up a puking joke. While he is introduced, he shoots hoops as if going through a midlife crisis. Train wreck television history.
- Oprah kills literary momentum?
Firmin Week
Over at the LBC site, the folks are discussing Sam Savage’s Firmin, which is this quarter’s Read This! pick.
Be sure to stop by. Sam Savage himself will make an appearance on Wednesday and a podcast interview will follow on Friday.
BSS #76: Scott Smith
Author: Scott Smith
Condition of Mr. Segundo: Still missing, replaced temporarily by a windbag.
Subjects Discussed: The addictive nature of The Ruins, insecurity, writing without an outline, making a seemingly preposterous premise believable, Rupert Thomson, on taking things too far, how deadlines help, aborted 1,000 page novels, Michael Moorcock, inserting objects into a narrative, how genre assists in the writing process, archetypal characters, 80s sex comedies, unintentional themes, the international perspective, Stephen King, relying upon the Internet for research, Michiko Kakutani, writing a book without chapter breaks, gore in fiction, the Ruins film adaptation, and working with Sam Raimi.
EXCERPT FROM SHOW:
Smith: There’s a lot to A Simple Plan where people thought there were larger themes attached to it. I don’t write that way. I wouldn’t even know how to go about writing that way. I think that probably there are sentiments that probably are just culturally out there, that get sucked into the writing. Someone said [The Ruins] is a metaphor for the Iraq war, you know, Americans going hubristically out and not knowing the language or the culture and getting into this hellish place. Which sounds great! I wish I thought of that.
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