American author Joy Williams: ‘The comfy story has got to change’

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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Watchmen author Alan Moore: ‘I’m definitely done with comics’

As he releases his first short story collection, the revered writer talks about magic, the problem with superhero movies and why he will never write another graphic novelI’ve been enamoured of prose fiction for quite a long while,” says Alan Moore. He is speaking to me from his home in... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-10-07 09:00:54 UTC ]
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Hachette Book Group Works to Diversify Slate of Authors

Hachette Book Group took another step toward bringing more BIPOC writers to the table in an equitable way by cohosting a Hurston/Wright Writers Week Workshop retreat for the first time this summer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-10-07 04:00:00 UTC ]
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‘Miracle find’: rare Don Quixote and short stories could sell for €900k

Sotheby’s describes 17th-century Cervantes editions as a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity for collectorsOne day in the early 1930s, a young Bolivian diplomat named Jorge Ortiz Linares walked into the illustrious Maggs Bros bookshop in London to ask if they might have a particularly fine edition... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-10-06 13:44:15 UTC ]
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French author Annie Ernaux has won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature.

This morning, the Swedish Academy awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature to the French author Annie Ernaux “for the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory.” Annie Ernaux is the author of some twenty works of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-10-06 11:09:56 UTC ]
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French Author Annie Ernaux Wins Nobel Prize For Literature

Annie Ernaux, 82, was cited for “the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory." Continue reading at The Huffington Post

[ The Huffington Post | 2022-10-06 11:03:31 UTC ]
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The Pulse of American Life: On Emily Post’s Evolving Legacy

Emily Post became America’s primary source for etiquette advice in the twentieth century through both her bestselling book Etiquette and radio shows on the topic. She was a prominent woman in New York society from the early 1900s until her death in 1960. Born in Baltimore, the daughter of famed... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-10-05 08:51:10 UTC ]
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Panel Mania: The Keeper: Soccer, Me, and the Law That Changed Women's Lives by Kelcey Ervick

Kelcey Ervick’s ‘The Keeper’ is a graphic memoir about her love of soccer as well as a lively celebration of girl athletes and the role of sports and Title IX legislation in transforming the lives of American girls and women for the better. An eight-page excerpt. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-10-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Amitav Ghosh on the Importance of Re-Centering Stories of the Land

Emergence Magazine is an online publication with annual print edition exploring the threads connecting ecology, culture, and spirituality. As we experience the desecration of our lands and waters, the extinguishing of species, and a loss of sacred connection to the Earth, we look to emerging... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-10-03 08:59:18 UTC ]
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Lauren Groff’s next novel is set in the 17th-century American wilderness.

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[ Literrary Hub | 2022-09-30 16:33:32 UTC ]
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It's Never Too Late: Seven Authors on Making Their YA Debuts After Age 50

These first-time authors are out to prove that life experience and hindsight are advantages when it comes to crafting riveting stories for teens. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-09-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Qian Julie Wang on Commuting, People-Watching, and Letting the Story Marinate

Qian Julie Wang’s Beautiful Country is out now in paperback from Anchor, so we asked about her routine and the intersection of writing and litigating. * What time of day do you write? I wrote Beautiful Country on my iPhone during my subway commute to and from my law firm job—so it was both the […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-09-26 08:51:56 UTC ]
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‘Everyone’s got a book in them’: boom in memoir industry as ordinary people record their stories

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[ The Guardian | 2022-09-24 14:00:06 UTC ]
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Hilary Mantel, Prize-Winning Author Known for ‘Wolf Hall,’ Dies at 70

The two-time Booker Prize-winning author was known for “Wolf Hall” and two other novels based on the life of Thomas Cromwell. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2022-09-24 00:46:55 UTC ]
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Amazon's updated e-book return policy looks like a big win for authors

Anyone who has been taking advantage of Amazon's liberal return policy regarding e-books could soon be in for a shock. That's because following discussions with the Authors Guild, Amazon has agreed to block automatic returns on digital books that are more than 10 percent read. Currently, the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-09-23 19:10:20 UTC ]
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WOLF HALL Author Hilary Mantel Dies at 70

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[ Book Riot | 2022-09-23 12:55:04 UTC ]
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Booker Prize-winning author Hilary Mantel dead at 70

Hilary Mantel, the best-selling British author known for her award-winning Wolf Hall historical trilogy, died on Thursday at the age of 70, her publisher said on Twitter on Friday. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2022-09-23 11:29:52 UTC ]
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Hilary Mantel, celebrated author of Wolf Hall, dies aged 70

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[ The Guardian | 2022-09-23 11:29:23 UTC ]
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Acclaimed British Author Hilary Mantel Dead At 70

Mantel was credited with reenergizing historical fiction with “Wolf Hall” and two sequels about the 16th-century English powerbroker Thomas Cromwell. Continue reading at The Huffington Post

[ The Huffington Post | 2022-09-23 10:42:20 UTC ]
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Elizabeth Strout has ‘millions of stories to tell’

In "Lucy by the Sea," Lucy Barton returns, this time riding out the pandemic’s early wave with her ex-husband in Maine. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2022-09-22 15:00:00 UTC ]
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Macmillan Announces Changes as CEO Transition Continues

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-09-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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