The novelist and short story writer on her new book about Azrael, the angel of death, her encounters with Raymond Carver and Richard Yates, and why fiction should be uncannyJoy Williams, 80, has written five novels and four story collections and is the recipient of numerous awards. Her most recent book of short stories, Concerning the Future of Souls: 99 Stories of Azrael (Tuskar Rock), was published earlier this year. Her work ranges from the philosophical examination of being, belief and morality to urgent engagements with environmental catastrophe; James Salter wrote of her that she belongs in the company of Céline and Flannery O’Connor. Born in Massachusetts, she now lives in the Sonoran desert.An earlier collection of yours was called 99 Stories of God, and now you’ve moved on to Azrael (the angel of death and transporter of souls) as the subject. What drew you to him?I read in a WS Merwin collection his translation of Hadrian’s deathbed poem to his soul – Animula vagula blandula – so sorrowful and succinct. The soul, a worthy subject. And Azrael has always fascinated me: he was death, but not death exactly. He was more a gorgeous creation of Islam. I picture him as responsible for all the souls of this ensouled Earth. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2024-10-19 17:00:20 UTC ]
News tagged with:
#uncannyjoy williams
#story collections
#numerous awards
#published earlier
#work ranges
#philosophical examination
#urgent engagements
#environmental catastrophe
#sonoran desert
#earlier collection
#ve moved
#deathbed poem
#gorgeous creation
#ensouled earth
#recent book
If you find the holidays more foreboding than cheerful, find someone to relate to in these 4 free holiday short stories available to read online. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-12-16 11:35:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#read online
#short stories
The Scottish Parliament is considering plans to give local authorities more control over business rates, sparking "extreme concern" from the Booksellers Association. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-16 03:18:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#business rates
#booksellers association
A campaign is under way to save historic literary site the Red House, in West Yorkshire, which has links to Charlotte Brontë. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-15 16:14:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#charlotte bront
How William Gibson keeps his science fiction real Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker While a lot of sci-fi is obsessed with the distant future, one of the best authors of the genre takes a different approach. The New Yorker explains how William Gibson... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2019-12-14 17:30:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#recommended reading
#william gibson
#distant future
#science fiction
On the 25th anniversary of a conservation milestone, a writer honors the authors who sparked his interest in gray wolves. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2019-12-14 14:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#25th anniversary
It was not the first self-published cookbook in the history of the world, but it is definitely the most successful: The Joy of Cooking, first released in 1931 by Irma Rombauer, has taught generations of Americans to “Stand facing the stove.” For decades, Rombauer’s “action method” of writing... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-12-13 09:51:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#family affair
#cookbook
PW takes a look back at some of the library stories that captivated the publishing world in 2019, and examines what they portend for 2020. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-12-13 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#pw takes
#library stories
#publishing world
Is your attention span ravaged by living in our hellscape of a modern era? Good news: 2019 brought us plenty of brilliant short fiction. We polled current and former Electric Lit staff and contributors about their favorite collections of the year, and their picks include debuts, National Book... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2019-12-11 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#electric lit
#modern era
#electric literature
#national book award
More than 400 pupils at Stormzy's former school were treated to an event with the grime rapper Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-11 10:23:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
The author of the book that shows women how to follow their own paths is back with advice for current times. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-12-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#current times
Voting has opened for the 2019 Costa Short Story Award, with the public invited to pick their favourite from three stories written by mystery authors. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-05 17:05:07 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#stories written
The Georgetown professor’s “JAY-Z: Made in America” paints the rapper as the ultimate hustler in a nation built by hustlers and strivers. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2019-12-05 14:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#living embodiment
Duncan Hamilton has become the first person to win the William Hill Sports Book of the Year three times after he scooped the 2019 prize for The Great Romantic (Hodder & Stoughton). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-04 18:37:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#duncan hamilton
#sports book
In this 11-page excerpt of a forthcoming young adult graphic novel, four high school girls organize their school and their community to make sure the issues around menstruation and female health are no longer ignored. 'Go With the Flow' is co-written by Lily Williams and Karen Schneeman (with... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-12-04 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#11-page excerpt
Newsweek has fired a reporter and says it's demoted an unnamed editor over "the failures that led to the publication of an inaccurate report" speculating about President Trump's Thanksgiving plans—prior to those plans being made public on Thursday afternoon. Shortly after 10 a.m. ET on Thursday... Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2019-12-03 17:38:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#timely manner
#fake news
#law enforcement
#all-time low
#working closely
#quality journalism
#— donald
Bonnier Books UK has announced a novel inspired by the true story of Japan's 2011 tsunami for its new literary imprint, Manilla Press. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-03 06:38:51 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#manilla press
#true story
#literary imprint
#bonnier
his has been the autumn of discontent for investigative TV journalists. Ronan Farrow’s bestselling book “Catch and Kill” detailed his Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2019-12-02 18:00:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#tv networks
#ronan farrow
#bestselling book
Profile Books has pre-empted a book about anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was murdered in a car bomb attack in Malta two years ago. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-28 22:22:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#profile books
The Booksellers Association has unveiled its Christmas social media campaign celebrating the joy of shopping in bookshops, as Black Friday gets underway. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-28 21:46:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#black friday
#booksellers association