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L.A. Times - Books & Talks
'The Second Plane' by Martin Amis
Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700
September 11: Terror and Boredom IT would be too easy to read Martin Amis' slim book on Sept. 11 in a day and to dismiss it with a politically correct glare. The dozen essays, columns and reviews and two short stories in "The Second Plane: September 11, Terror and Boredom" are more illuminating than that, though deeply, sometimes self-indulgently flawed.
'The House of Widows' by Askold Melnyczuk
Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Family secrets lie at the end of a dark and twisted path FROM its puzzling opening line ("The most common grammatical error is the lie"), there's an ominous vibe to Askold Melnyczuk's third novel, "The House of Widows," and the sense of unease lingers until the final sentence. It's a mysterious, masterfully taut story in which dread plays a prominent role.
'Marco Polo' by Laurence Bergreen
Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700
An account of the adventures of the celebrated 13th century world traveler. MARCO POLO was only 17 when he departed for China in 1271 with his father, Niccolò, and his uncle, Maffeo. Those two merchants of Venice were known to the boy primarily as storytellers of their fabulous exploits, writes award-winning biographer and historian Laurence Bergreen, for they had been absent more than 16 years, Marco's entire childhood. The pair had followed trade routes east, encountered exotic countries and customs and survived many perils; they had even lived for a time at the court of Kublai Khan, the leader of the Mongol Empire. Eventually they agreed to accompany his emissary west to the pope, vowing to return to Cambulac (Beijing) with several items the Great Khan had requested.
NYT > Books
Books of The Times: It’s True: Success Succeeds, and Advantages Can Help
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 04:40:43 -0000
Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book employs the same recipe as his previous two best sellers, but does so in such a clumsy manner that it italicizes the weaknesses of his methodology.
For Books, Is Obama New Oprah?
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:35:58 -0000
So just which book “about F.D.R.’s first 100 days” was President-elect Barack Obama talking about when he appeared on “60 Minutes” on Sunday?
Books of the Times: You Know We All Love You, Professor. Now Get Out of Here.
Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:54:56 -0000
In “Gone Tomorrow,” a sharply observed yet tender novel of academic life and its many sand traps, P. F. Kluge describes the dangers that a writer-teacher faces.
Fiction & Poetry
Rita Dove: "The Bridgetower"
Rita Dove Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:00:00 -0000
per il Mulatto Brischdauer gran pazzo e compositore mulattico --Ludwig van Beethoven, 1803. If was at the Beginning. If he had been older, if he hadn’t been dark, brown eyes ablaze in that remarkable face; if he had not been so gifted, so young a genius with no time to . . .
Edwidge Danticat: "Ghosts"
Edwidge Danticat Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:00:00 -0000
Pascal Dorien was living in Bel Air--the Baghdad of Haiti, some people called it, but that would be Cité Pendue, an even more destitute and brutal neighborhood, where hundreds of middle-school children entering a national art contest drew M-16s and beheaded corpses, and wrote such things as . . .
Charles Simic: "Master of Disguises"
Charles Simic Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:00:00 -0000
Surely he walks among us unrecognized: Some barber, store clerk, delivery man, Pharmacist, hairdresser, bodybuilder, Exotic dancer, gem cutter, dog walker, The blind beggar singing, Oh Lord, remember me, Some window decorator starting a fake fire In a fake fireplace while mother and father watch From the couch with their . . .
London Review of Books
Talking Corpses · Tim Parks on 'Gomorrah'
'When Lot lived in Sodom and Gomorrah,' Peter wrote in his Second Epistle, 'he was oppressed and tormented day after day by their lawless deeds.' Having grown up in Naples, Roberto Saviano is similarly tormented and oppressed. Gomorrah is his account of the lawless deeds of the Camorra, the Neapolitan Mafia. Conveniently assonant as the two names may be, the crimes of Naples are not those we associate with the Cities of the Plain, and Saviano is not the righteous man who withdraws when God steps in to incinerate the sinful townsfolk. On the contrary, he seems to be drawn to what he abhors, and does everything in his power to see the Camorra and its lawlessness close up.
Double Thought · Michael Wood: Kafka in the Office
It's certainly an excellent arrangement,' the official says, 'always unimaginably excellent, even if in other respects hopeless.' We can easily picture, or even recall, arrangements that are excellent for some and hopeless for others, and that is what the phrase 'in other respects' invites us to do. But the larger rhythm and grammar of the sentence ask us to go beyond this option, to think both contrary thoughts at once, taking excellence and hopelessness as partners in an intricate dance, each calling for and implying the other; as if the arrangement is excellent because it's hopeless, hopeless because it's excellent. Can we manage this logical feat? And where are we?
It's not the bus: it's us · Thomas Sugrue: Stars, Stripes and Civil Rights
In the United States the flag has the status of a religious icon, a totem. It cannot be carried horizontally or flat, but must always be 'aloft and free'. There is a protocol for folding it, it can't touch the ground, it can't be burned except when it is worn out or irreparably damaged and then only as part of a special ritual. Military men and women salute it, civilians hold their right hands over their left breasts when singing 'The Star-Spangled Banner', and schoolchildren pledge allegiance to it. It is also a ubiquitous presence in the American landscape. The Red, White and Blue waves from people's porches, flies over car dealerships and gas stations and adorns flower-pots; cars are festooned with it in the form of bumper stickers, window decals and antenna pennants. The flag decorates the altars of churches of every denomination except those of a few dissenting sects. And it has become a necessary accessory for political candidates. Early in his campaign, Barack Obama was criticised for his unpatriotic failure to display a flag lapel pin: as president-elect he now regularly wears one.
Books | guardian.co.uk
A Morris Minor love story
Martin Wainwright Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:30:01 -0000
The last thing you expect to have on your tail these days is a Morris Minor. But that looks like being my lot for years to come. Earlier this year, I couldn't get enough of the little rounded cars, famously damned by their reluctant maker Viscount Nuffield as "poached eggs". Everyone I met was quizzed: did they have one? Had their parents? What about their grannies, sisters, cousins, aunts? I met people who'd raced them, scraped fungus off them for primary school nature tables, turned one into a mechanical lobster and applied to be buried with theirs when they (the person, not the engine) died. It was lovely and I learned that the two words "Morris" and "Minor" were a sure way of getting almost anyone to go all soft and say: "Aahhhh."It was necessary, too, because my task at the time was write the car's biography to celebrate its 60th birthday, a worthy occupation because the Minor is a case study in sociology as well as a classic piece of design. It was the first British car to sell a million and in the process achieved an exceptional lovability, or more precisely, a knack of making people extraordinarily fond of it. Anyone in need of this – a politician, a suitor, a parent or a child – should study Morris Minorism from A-Z and see how it can be done.A is for Alec Issigonis, the car's inspirational Levantine creator (assisted by Reg Job and Vic Oak who were as village-blacksmithy Brit as their names). Z is for…, well, Z is difficult actually, unless you nerdishly include the Series Z Post Office van which the bright red Minor version replaced in 1953.In between is everything else; but that's all in the book. My purpose here is to warn other nascent biographers, who don't already know, that a baby like this seems to be for life. Morris Minor, the Biography: 60 Years of Britain's Favourite Car has been out for just two weeks, but already I have 14 new anecdotes, two phone messages and three promises from relations to tell me about theirs when we meet at the extended family party on Boxing Day. "My Dad only got rid of his when he was overtaken by a pedestrian when he was 85 and driving to the pub," starts one recollection. "Our neighbour kept hers even when it stopped going," begins another, "because unlike modern cars it was strong enough for her stand on without the metal dimpling when she was cutting her hedge."Does this happen to mightier biographers? Was Morley beset with details he had omitted about Gladstone? Does Michael Holroyd ever escape from enthusiasts for Augustus John and George Bernard Shaw, or Claire Tomalin wriggle out from under the shadows of Hardy and Pepys? The last two perhaps provide the answer: finish A and move on to B, which I am now about to do with a sequel on the Mini, which is 50 next year. That, and perhaps, in tune with modern interactive publishing, a couple of blank pages between the index and the back cover, for readers who aren't included to write their own experiences down.BiographySocietyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
DarkIsle wins Royal Mail award for Scottish children's books
Michelle Pauli Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:46:49 -0000
A fantasy tale inspired by a stone dragon on a beach on Scotland's west coast has been chosen by young Scottish readers as their favourite book for pre-teens.DarkIsle by DA Nelson triumphed in the 8-11 category of the Royal Mail awards for Scottish children's books, Scotland's largest children's book award. The fast-paced first novel describes the adventures of 10-year-old Morag who, aided by a talking rat and a resourceful dodo, must race against time to save their world from an evil warlock. The trio's guide is a dragon who has been turned to stone, based on a huge sculpture by artist Roy Fitzsimmons that overlooks Irvine beach. The book is the first in a trilogy. The Royal Mail award-winners are selected by Scottish children themselves, who vote for their favourite books from shortlists chosen by children together with a panel of experts in Scottish children's literature and education. All of the shortlisted titles were published in 2007 by authors or illustrators born or resident in Scotland. This year, the third of the awards, 9,541 young Scottish readers took part in the competition and voted. Most votes were cast in the early years category for a book in the 0-7 age group. It was won by Billy Monster's Daymare by Alan Durant and Ross Collins. Set in a topsy-turvy world where monsters are scared of children, the picture book describes how little Billy Monster can't sleep because he is suffering from horrible daymares about boys and girls.The older readers prize (age 12-16) went to Bunker 10 by JA Henderson, a high-octane, action-packed adventure story set on a secret and remote military base peopled by super-smart teens. Each author received £3,000 prize money at an award ceremony in Aberdeen hosted by the broadcaster Kirsty Wark and attended by hundreds of children from all over Scotland.guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Alexei Sayle discusses his new novel, Mr Roberts
Lindesay Irvine Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:05:51 -0000
The comedian talks to Lindesay Irvine about Spain, space aliens and why his novels don't have much room for gags
NPR Topics: Books
Annie Leibovitz: The View From Behind The Lens
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:10:00 -0500
Whoopi Goldberg in a milk bath? Meryl Streep in a white mime face? After training her lens on some of the most notable faces of our day, the photographer reveals the stories behind some of her famous portraits.
How To Be Killer At Cocktail Parties
Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:35:00 -0500
Awkward over hors d'oeuvres? A mess with martinis? Knowing what to say at a cocktail party can be overwhelming — but these three books will have you culturally informed in no time.
Author Urges Investing In Obesity And Nice Legs
Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:48:00 -0500
Hedge fund manager James Altucher says that the way to make money with minimal stress is to invest in lasting demographic trends like identity theft, chocolate and women's legs. He discusses his new book, The Forever Portfolio, and offers his top 10 stock picks.
Slashdot: Book Reviews
Ender in Exile
samzenpus Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:42:00 -0000
stoolpigeon writes "Orson Scott Card's work Ender's Game began as a novelette, which he says he wrote as a means of leading up to the full story he had developed, Speaker for the Dead. Ender's Game was published as a full novel in 1985, and won the Hugo and Nebula awards (as did Speaker for the Dead in '86 and '87). I think it is safe to say that Ender's Game is ensconced in its position as a science fiction classic. Now, 23 years later, Card has finished the first direct sequel to Ender's Game in his new novel Ender in Exile." Keep reading for the rest of JR's review.Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Googling Security
samzenpus Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:14:00 -0000
brothke writes "It has been suggested that if one was somehow able to change history so that aspirin had never been discovered until now, it would have died in the lab and stand no chance of FDA approval. Similarly, if we knew the power that Google would have in 2008 with its ability to aggregate and correlate personal data, it is arguable that various regulatory and privacy bodies would never allow it to exist given the extensive privacy issues." Read below for the rest of Ben's review.Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Beating the College Bubble
samzenpus Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:24:00 -0000
An anonymous reader writes "The real estate bubble is long gone. Oil prices are sliding down. Are we in an education bubble? The author of Beating the College Bubble says so. He's written a short, simple guide to avoiding the crushing college debt that he thinks is about to bankrupt all of us. Just as easy loans encouraged people to dream big and buy a McMansion, big college loans are tempting students with too much Comp Lit and Frat Parties. When they graduate, the debt is so hefty that the students are stuck living in their parents' basement for 10 years until they've paid it all off. I can tell you from personal experience that there's some real truth to the hangover. The beer headache is gone after a week, but the monthly payments just keep going." Read below for the rest of cdog40's reviewRead more of this story at Slashdot.
Books
Poetry beneath their feet: A public display of art and literacy
By Matthew Shaer Staff writer, The Christian Science Monitor St. Paul, Minn. On a damp day this fall, I drove with Marcus Young to Frogtown, a working-class neighborhood on the outskirts of downtown St. Paul. Mr. Young, who was born in Hong Kong and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, has spent the past year ...
Good writing vs. talented writing
What's the difference between writing that's simply good and writing that's talented? Does the distinction exist solely in the mind of the reader, or is it possible to actually define and quantify talent?
The Inspector Barlach Mysteries
I have just finished The Inspector Barlach Mysteries by Friedrich Dürrenmatt. These two novellas (“The Judge and his Hangman” and “Suspicion”) were part of a series of discussions called “Mystery! Detective Fiction in the 20th Century – a notion of evil” held in three Maine libraries. Dürrenmatt was a prolific ...
