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 ]
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Eve Rosen is an aspiring writer. She’s an editorial assistant at a literary imprint, but the office seems far friendlier to WASP-y men than to Jewish women like her. When her boss’s star writer, the longtime New Yorker reporter Henry Gray, invites Eve to spend the summer of 1987 as his research... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2019-07-09 14:00:32 UTC ]
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Aleksandar Hemon's "extraordinary story" about his family will be published in a two-book single edition by Picador. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-09 05:07:10 UTC ]
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Despite awards and acclaim for his crime fiction, the impoverished novelist lost his home and was set to quit – then the phone rangIt was1.30 in the morning in Melbourne and Adrian McKinty had just got home after dropping off his last Uber customer of the night at the airport. His phone rang. It... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-07-08 06:00:17 UTC ]
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British novelist Jonathan Lee has moved from William Heinemann to Granta for his next two novels following “a closely fought” auction. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-07 15:12:04 UTC ]
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Tochi Onyebuchi’s young adult books, the duology Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder, are fantasy novels with a Nigeria-influenced setting. His upcoming War Girls is set in a post-nuclear, post-climate change Nigeria of 2172. Riot Baby, his first novel for adults (also forthcoming), is a... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2019-07-04 11:00:10 UTC ]
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Headline has landed debut author Bolu Babalola’s retelling of love stories from mythology and history, celebrating "wildly beautiful and astonishingly diverse tales of romance and desire". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-03 16:39:47 UTC ]
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The Los Angeles Times Book Club is reading "The Other Americans" by Laila Lalami. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-07-03 14:00:01 UTC ]
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The Los Angeles Times Book Club is reading “The Other Americans” by Laila Lalami. She shared this excerpt from the novel’s first chapter, which sets up the mystery surrounding the death of a Moroccan immigrant run down by a speeding driver in a Southern California desert town. My father was... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-07-03 14:00:00 UTC ]
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In this deeply researched work of graphic nonfiction, Finnish comics artist Tiitu Takalo has created an inspiring history of a grass roots movement to save an historic neighborhood from demolition, as well as a love story that chronicles her own relationship. This 11-page excerpt provides... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-07-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Works of prose fiction with quirky fun plots and manga-style illustrations, Japanese light Novels are attracting a growing audience of fans in North America. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-07-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Imagine being ushered into a vast and palatial room on a sumptuous estate to rival Versailles… and before you, across a golden table, lies a smorgasbord of delights. A banquet fit for a king, a queen, or even an emperor. As you gaze upon this wonder, you’re told you may eat only one meal from […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-07-02 19:16:57 UTC ]
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Between January and May this year, approximately 3,000 people working in the news industry were laid off or offered a buyout. That’s according to figures compiled by Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.—a Chicago-based firm that helps workers find new employment—and reported yesterday in a... Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review
[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2019-07-02 12:07:17 UTC ]
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A movement supported by nonprofit groups and libraries is creating literary spaces in places where children find themselves with time on their hands. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2019-07-02 09:00:13 UTC ]
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S&S officials confirmed that as of August 1, public libraries will be able to license S&S e-books for two-year terms, on a one copy/one user model, with most “new release” e-books priced between $38.99 and $52.99. Previously, S&S e-books were sold on one-year licenses, though at a... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-07-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Review of "This America" by Jill Lepore and "The Heartland" by Kristin L. Hoganson Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2019-06-27 17:45:21 UTC ]
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The Los Angeles Times Book Club has selected "The Other Americans" as its next book and hosts a July 30 conversation with author Laila Lalami at the Skirball Cultural Center. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-06-27 14:00:03 UTC ]
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The Los Angeles Times Book Club has selected “The Other Americans” as its next book and hosts a July 30 conversation with author Laila Lalami at the Skirball Cultural Center. The novel is a mystery and family drama that unfolds in a Southern California desert town after a Moroccan immigrant... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-06-27 14:00:00 UTC ]
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The Society of Authors is urging prime ministerial hopefuls Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt to support authors and the wider creative industries. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-06-26 23:32:54 UTC ]
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In her research for "The Library Book," Susan Orlean was surprised to learn how many people call the Los Angeles Library on a daily basis with outlandish questions. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-06-26 21:09:36 UTC ]
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In her research for “The Library Book,” Susan Orlean was surprised to learn how many people call the Los Angeles Library on a daily basis with outlandish questions. Some people want help cheating on crossword puzzles. Others have more personal queries. “There is a guy who calls the library... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-06-26 20:35:00 UTC ]
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