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
Independent publisher Galley Beggar Press is launching a short story competition this weekend. The Norwich-based publisher, which originally published Eimear McBride’s Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction winner A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing, said the competition built on the success of its... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#norwich-based publisher
#baileys women
#fiction winner
#half-formed thing
#short story
#unpublished writers
Weidenfeld & Nicolson is to publish Gillian Flynn’s short story The Grownup as a standalone book for the first time. The Grownup first appeared under the title What Do You Do? in Rogues (Titan Books), an anthology of short stories edited by George R R Martin and Gardner Dozois. It will be... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#short story
#weidenfeld nicolson
#standalone book
#gardner dozois
#standalone paperback
HarperCollins is set to release The Story of Kullervo by J.R.R. Tolkien as a novel for the first time later this month. The publisher confirmed that it will release the story on the 27th August, although no further details have yet been given. The story has been published once before – as part... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#27th august
#standalone book
UK author Andrew Shantos tracks the elation, frustration and quantification of the first two months of publication of his debut novel, Dead Star Island. The post Down, Up, Down Again: The Diary of a Debut Author appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-08-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#debut author
Writers consider legal action against Moscow publishing house after discovering series about president circulated in their names. The Moscow Times reportsA Russian publishing house has printed a series of books about Vladimir Putin under the names of prominent western analysts and journalists –... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-08-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Kay Wills Wyma, author of 'I’m Happy for You (Sort of…Not Really): Finding Contentment in a Culture of Comparison' (WaterBrook Press, 9781601425959) will appear on 'Chris Fabry Live!' on Monday, August 10. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#finding contentment
#waterbrook press
April Fool’s Day 1998, novelist William Boyd published a hoax biography of a 20th-century American artist, Nat Tate, which was sufficiently convincing to take in a number of prominent art critics. One of the elements that made the hoax so persuasive was Boyd’s use of anonymous photographs, drawn... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#william boyd
#april fool
#sufficiently convincing
US writer Catherine Nichols has revealed that she received eight times as many responses by sending out her manuscript to agents under a man’s name than when sending it out under her own name. In an essay for Jezebel, Nichols said she sent query letters to 50 agents under her own name,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
We asked you what three authors you'd take to your desert island. You said William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Stephen King. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#william shakespeare
#jane austen
#stephen king
#pw asks
#desert island
Writer Catherine Nichols submitted the opening pages to her novel to 50 literary agents under her own name, and then again using a man's name. Can you guess which name got more positive responses? Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-08-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#opening pages
Independent publisher Urbane Publications will publish the physical edition of the next book from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing thriller writer Tim Adler, while the author will self-publish the ebook. Matthew Smith, director of Urbane, acquired world rights in all languages for print editions... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#print editions
#physical edition
Best American Comics Series Editor Bill Kartalopoulos talks about this years volume guest edited by novelist Jonathan Lethem and gives us the first look at the cover by Raymond Pettibon. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#american comics
H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger, author of 'Friday Night Lights, 25th Anniversary Edition' (Da Capo, 9780306824203), will appear on NPR’s 'Fresh Air' on Monday, August 3. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#buzz bissinger
#da capo
#fresh air
People love road trips. Some like 'em more than others. And some like them perhaps a little bit too much. This interactive map from Richard Kreitner and Steven Melendez crams the locations mentioned in twelve road-tripping books including Mark Twain... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2015-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#american literature
#interactive map
Which three authors' collected works would you take to your proverbial desert island? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#pw asks
#collected works
Bob Pritchett, CEO of Faithlife, creator of Logos Bible Software, uses the history of the tablet reader to discuss changes in digital publishing today. The post Tablet to Tablet: What Hasn’t Changed in Publishing — and Should appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Former Liberal Democrat MP David Laws has written a book exposing the ‘inside story’ of the Cameron-Clegg coalition. Biteback Publishing m.d. Iain Dale acquired world rights to Coalition by David Laws, which will be published in Spring 2016. The book, which will be supported by a ‘major press... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#inside story
#biteback publishing
#shed light
#public domain
Marilynne Robinson, a novelist who was shortlisted for the Man Booker International prize in 2011 and 2013, is on the longlist with her novel 'Lila.' She's one of several American writers to make the cut. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-07-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#marilynne robinson
#american writers
The Book Doctor goes right back to beginnings of YA and teen fiction in the 1950s and 1960s to investigate whether author age has anything to do with reader experienceI saw several really young writers at the Young Adult Literature Convention (Yalc) who seem to know just what their readers are... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-07-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#teen fiction
#young writers
#young authors
#malorie blackman
#helena coggan
#role models