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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According to a study released recently by the Pew Research Center, 60% of Americans aged 16-29 still use their public library, and 83% read a book in the past year. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-11-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Self-published title Shot and a Ghost has been shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple CEO Tim Cook took to a San Jose theater stage today to unveil a new version of the company's literature-based digital storefront, iBooks. Cook says it integrates better with iCloud, allows for quote sharing on Facebook and Twitter, and has support for "over 40 languages." Beyond the app... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-10-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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iDevice owners in New Zealand and 17 Latin American countries are no longer restricted to a diet composed of free content when it comes to their respective iBookstores. A quick search of the storefronts will reveal virtual shelves stocked with paid-content that haven't yet found their way to the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-10-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers are still prepared to pay good money up front for the right books, agents have told... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Olympic cyclist and "Strictly Come Dancing" contestant Victoria Pendleton's memoir... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Samar Yazbek, whose latest book is an account of the Assad regime written inside Syria, will share the Pen Pinter prize with poet Carol Anne Duffy. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2012-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Writers Aminatta Forna, Kamila Shamsie, Paul Theroux and Henning Mankell have given support to a... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new story from Audrey Niffenegger, the author of The Time Traveler’s Wife, will feature... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Association of American Publishers (AAP) and Google today announced an agreement that marks the end of nearly seven years of litigation, kicked off in 2005, when five members of the organization filed an infringement suit against the online giant. The deal helps bring digitized books and... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-10-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Children's has snapped up rights to The Breathing series by self-published author... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hachette companies Orion and Hodder & Stoughton are jointly publishing a new story by... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The government is also pressuring Chinese publishers to stop translating and publishing Japanese content as tension increases between the two countries. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At this year’s publishing pow-wow in Germany: John Banville channels Raymond Chandler; Daniel Woodrell explores a 1929 American bombing; Michael Pollan gets elemental; Elif Batuman tries fiction; and Lionel Shriver goes to Iowa. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When a man routinely hailed as one of America’s “greatest living writers” publishes a new novel, one hardly expects it to draw reviews posing questions along the lines of “Can he do it? Can he actually pull it off?” Because when you’re Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize winner, the act of writing a... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2012-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Bookseller Association’s president Patrick Neale has said the need to change the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Joining a growing list of services that offer real-time video chat capabilities, Shindig is a recently launched platform that authors and publishers can use to replicate the book tour experience online. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hodder & Stoughton has released a free ebook, No, It's Us Too!, today (11th September)... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Random House’s William Heinemann has acquired a non-fiction title about language... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Analysts have predicted that this Christmas could herald a "real step change" for... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-08-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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