Balzac’s Brew.
I had no idea Balzac was such a coffee addict: Coffee — he called it a “great power in [his] life” — made possible a grueling writing schedule that had him going to bed at six, rising at 1am to work...
View ArticleMan Booker Prize Shortlist.
Just this morning, the shortlist for the Man Booker Prize was announced. A couple books that have been long on my reading list (the Fowler and Ferris) were included, and one that I’m currently reading...
View ArticleNational Book Awards Longlist.
The longlist of fiction titles for the National Book Award seems almost identical to my to-be-read pile at home.
View ArticleAuthors Ranking the Greatest Novels.
Over at Brain Pickings, a little round up post highlights a recent list of “best” books that were featured in Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books. Of the top ten—a list compiled by writers...
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Review of “The Children Act.”
My review of Ian McEwan’s new novel The Children Act is now available online: Ian McEwan has always had a legal mind. “Atonement,” the novel he is probably best known for, turned on a false accusation,...
View ArticleThe 2015 Tournament of Books.
Over at The Morning News, the fantastic Tournament of Books is once again in full swing. Yours truly was the reader judge last year. I’m spending the tournament as an excited spectator this time...
View Article“From Jamaica to Minnesota to Myself.”
Marlon James, author of one of the novels that has shot up my TBR pile (thanks to the Tournament of Books), in this lyrical and raw essay for the NY Times: In creative writing, I teach that characters...
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“Stare Decisis” in Midwestern Gothic
Very excited to share that Issue # 17 of the great lit mag Midwestern Gothic is now out, and it includes a short story of mine, “Stare Decisis.” Here’s a somewhat representative excerpt: Nobody told...
View ArticleAdmiral James Stavridis on Reading Fiction.
Over at The Millions, an interview with Admiral James Stavridis, dean of Tufts University’s graduate school of Law and Diplomacy and a lifelong reader of fiction: I read constantly. I read probably 80...
View ArticleFranzen on Turkle.
This review by Jonathan Franzen of Sherry Turkle’s new book is worth reading and re-reading for so many things. Here’s just a snippet: [Turkle’s] new book, “Reclaiming Conversation,” extends her...
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