September 2010
9 posts
“i tried not to think about my life. i did not have any good solid plans for it...”
– lorrie moore, a gate at the stairs.
jonathan franzen recommends 4 overlooked books →
one of which happens to be written by a beloved former writing professor of mine, sarah shun-lien bynum. i recently read her book, ms. hempel chronicles, and adored it. franzen’s endorsement, my praises, and a spot on the new yorker 20 under 40 list…what more do you need to sway you?
August 2010
15 posts
“The best critics perform an important function, but it’s not one I’m hard-wired...”
– david mitchell on critics, in this interview with the rumpus.
1 tag
reminder: book swap tonight!
hope to see you at housing works at 6:30p. click here for details.
reading roundup.
juliet, naked by nick hornby: this was my first hornby book though i’ve seen the film adaptations of about a boy and high fidelity. it was a satisfying read and a good break from some headier books i’ve been reading this summer, though it did broach the topics of creating a legacy and mortality, two themes that have permeated most of my summer reading (accidentally!).
the ask by sam...
1 tag
on leaving the party.
in college i took several writing classes under poet and novelist eileen myles. she always brought an anecdotal object into the class to center the day’s lesson, whether the object was figurative or literal depended on her mood.
the lesson that stuck with me the most was a story she told us about going to parties with one of her friends. toward the end of the night he would signal to her,...
lit and great house are tough acts to follow, but in the words of jay-z, i’m on to the next one.
currently reading juliet, naked by nick hornby.
1 tag
great house by nicole krauss.
by the way i’ve been guarding my canvas bag for the last week, one would think that i was carting around a golden ticket. close enough, i have had an advance copy of great house by nicole krauss in my possession.
as a writer, it was humbling. as a reader, it was engrossing. much darker and intenser than her previous work, great house touches on several characters coming to terms with their...
“i was familiar with the little mating rituals of getting to know each other, of...”
– nicole krauss, great house.
