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
Lionel Shriver's controversial opinion piece on diversity, a publishing start-up offering aspiring writers a £24k salary and Waterstones' shock acquisition of Foyles all feature in the Top 10 most-read stories on The Bookseller website in 2018. But what's at number one? Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#lionel shriver
#shock acquisition
Atlantic Books imprint Corvus has acquired a debut upmarket mystery set in an elite Catholic boarding school for girls in the 1990s. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Zadie Smith is releasing her very first story collection with Hamish Hamilton next autumn: Grand Union. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#zadie smith
#story collection
#hamish hamilton
Susan McNally, author of The Morrow Secrets trilogy, has died at the age of 64. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#tributes paid
Authors Cathy Newman and Jonathan Coe have urged customers to take their business to the high street this Christmas season after suffering stock shortages of their titles on Amazon.co.uk. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#high street
#jonathan coe
#christmas season
Contrary to appearances, it’s still possible to stare down the tech giants. And in 2018, Fortnite proved it. In 2018, the platforms have the power. Which means if you aren’t Apple, Google, or Facebook, you answer to them. That’s true for advertisers, for publishers, and even for our democracy.... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2018-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#tech giants
"The Color Purple" author Alice Walker last week endorsed a book by a British conspiracy theorist frequently accused of anti-Semitism, and literary observers are speaking out on social media. Walker, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, poet and activist, was interviewed for the New York Times... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#color purple
Wildfire has acquired the second book of Humans author Tom Phillips, looking at "the ingenious ways, throughout history, we've managed to avoid telling the truth" Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#ve managed
Authors and critics have called for newspapers to increase the space they allow for children’s book reviews after only 7% of the titles chosen for newspapers’ books of the year round-ups were for kids. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#authors protest
#book reviews
#titles chosen
Audible has been announced as a new sponsor for, what will now be known as, the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award 2019. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
PW takes a look back at some of the library stories that captivated the publishing world in 2018, and what they portend for 2019. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-12-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#pw takes
#library stories
#publishing world
The 180-page report shows a steep drop in both sales of books by Canadian authors and books published by Canadian-owned presses. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#canadian authors
#steep drop
Man Booker Prize-shortlisted Daisy Johnson is joining fellow authors Cynan Jones and Richard Beard to judge the £15,000 BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University (NSSA). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#richard beard
We asked the authors of our top 10 books of 2018 to share their favorite titles published this year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Jarrett Krosoczka’s recent memoir is about growing up with a parent struggling with addiction. But its messages for young people focus on resiliency and giving thanks. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2018-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#recent memoir
Questions over the changing religious beliefs of millennials, a defamation suit filed by the subject of 2010’s bestseller ‘The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven,’ and reports of sexual misconduct at Christian writing conferences make up some of PW’s top religion and spirituality stories of 2018. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#sexual misconduct
#top religion
#spirituality stories
In his new book, philosopher Andrew Pessin takes a close look at Jewish thought through the ages, and discovers ‘exhilarating’ disagreement about God. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Effective January 1, Nation Books, a joint project of the Nation Institute and Hachette Book Group, will be known as Bold Type Books. The move comes on the heels of the Nation Institute changing its name. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#nation books
#joint project
‘It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way,’ the new book by ‘Uninvited’ author Lysa TerKeurst, debuts at #2 in Religion Nonfiction; holiday-themed novels take over in Religion Fiction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#religion nonfiction
#religion fiction
Selwa Anthony had sued the bestselling writer, claiming she was entitled to 15% commission on all royalties Internationally bestselling Australian author Kate Morton has fended off a lawsuit by her former literary agent, who instead has to pay the writer more than $500,000.Selwa Anthony sued... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2018-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#literary agent
#published books