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
Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 07/04/2011 - 15:58 A husband-and-wife team has launched an e-publishing company for new authors. Cornwall-based lawyers Nigel and Abbie Flanagan are calling on unpublished writers to submit the first 50 pages of their work to Wink Publishing.... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#budding authors
#husband-and-wife team
#unpublished writers
#public vote
Algonquin Books held the first in its new Algonquin Book Club Author Interviews March 21 at Miami's independent bookseller Books & Books, where local author Edwidge Danticat and local favorite Julia Alvarez sat down to talk about Alvarez's In the Time of the Butterflies. The sold-out event... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#streaming live
We continue to look at the events that made the Internet into what it is today. In this part we examine blogs, Napster, Skype, online books, Facebook, and more. Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2011-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#online books
Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 01/04/2011 - 10:32 Canongate has signed a book it describes as a "fearlessly modern coming of age novel" from a 19-year-old début author. Senior editor Francis Bickmore bought world rights in a pre-emptive deal from Jon Elek at A P Watt.... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#pre-emptive deal
#jon elek
#ben brooks
#audio download
Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Mon, 28/03/2011 - 09:40 The financial risks of app creation and the dilemmas of handling digital co-editions were the hot topics at the Bologna Book Fair's first Tools of Change conference. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#change conference
#app creation
#hot topics
Recognizing the fluid state of digital magazine publishing, the ABC board of directors has just modified a key requirement for qualifying a "replica" digital edition. Advertising in the print and digital editions no longer needs to be identical. The board's vote at their mid-March meeting was... Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#digital magazines
#digital edition
#digital editions
Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 22/03/2011 - 08:30 Transworld has acquired three novels by debut author Victoria Lamb, all set in the time of Elizabeth I's reign. Publishing director Selina Walker bought world rights in the trilogy from agent Luigi Bonomi, and will... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#transworld signs
Written By: Barbara Casassus Publication Date: Thu, 17/03/2011 - 06:39 French authors have urged culture minister Frédéric Mitterrand to intecede in order to break the deadlock in their negotiations with publishers over electronic rights. For the second year running, the Permanent Council of... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#electronic rights
#year running
Written By: Barbara Casassus Publication Date: Wed, 16/03/2011 - 13:30 French authors are increasingly satisfied with their publishers, according to the third annual survey conducted by the Civil Society for Multimedia Authors (Scam). The latest results show that 71% of respondents are... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#publishers pay
#civil society
Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 15/03/2011 - 09:19 The American Library Association (ALA) has said HarperCollins US' restrictions on the number of times an ebook can be checked out restricts users' access to information. ALA president Roberta Stevens' claim comes amid new data... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#library ebook
Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 11/03/2011 - 09:02 The relationship between publishers and retailers needs to change if physical bookshops are not to face a "bleak" future, the c.e.o. of Blackwell has warned. Andrew Hutchings was speaking during the Retailers Question Time... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#physical bookshops
#andrew hutchings
#heythrop park
#patrick neale
#chipping norton
Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 11/03/2011 - 08:50 Changing copyright laws in the UK could strike a blow to investment in literature, a report has found. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) has produced the document for the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA), which reveals that out... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#report finds
Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Fri, 11/03/2011 - 16:25 Writers ability to average out their earnings over a number of years could be abolished, according to new tax system proposals. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Googles algorithmic changes (which the search giant claims will effect 11.8 percent of queries) take aim at what it says are low-quality sitessites which are low-value add for users, copy content from other web sites or sites that are just not very useful. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#web sites
Written By: Gayle Feldman Publication Date: Thu, 10/03/2011 - 09:13 Barnes & Noble chairman Len Riggio has said the American book trade is on the cusp of "transformational growth" led by digital sales, in a bullish keynote address to the annual meeting of the Association of American... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#len riggio
#american trade
#transformational growth
#digital sales
#annual meeting
Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 08/03/2011 - 08:40 Inspiring books by and about women are being hailed for International Women's Day, as J K Rowling and Germaine Greer are named among 17 authors on the Guardian's Top 100 Inspirational Women list. Female novelists are holding... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#international women
#germaine greer
#female novelists
Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 04/03/2011 - 10:14 Sceptre has signed a six-figure deal for two novels by debut author Jess Richards, including Snake Ropes, set on an island "off the edge of the map". Deputy publisher Jocasta Hamilton made the deal for UK and Commonwealth... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#six-figure deal
#debut author
#lucy luck
In an unexpected about-face, publisher Random House announced on Monday that it would adopt the agency model for ebook sales in the U.S., beginning March 1... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2011-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#agency model
#ebook sales
Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 28/02/2011 - 15:43 A Carnegie-nominated author has proposed an alternative to World Book Night, suggesting readers buy one book from a bookshop this week and give it away. Writing on her blog, Nicola Morgan said she believed there were better... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#nicola morgan
#million books
Hearst Magazines Digital Media announced several changes to its roster today. Julie Hocheiser is now site director for Seventeen.com. Hocheiser served previously as the senior web editor for the Hearst Teen Network. Neha Gandhi also joined Seventeen.com as a web editor. Gandhi is the former... Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#seventeen magazine
#site director
#web editor