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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Their books look at the upheaval and protests of recent years from different perspectives, but both are pessimistic about the future. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-02-11 13:00:14 UTC ]
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If you’ve been paying attention to local news in the past year, you’ve likely noticed the concerning wave of book bans sweeping the nation. Books by authors of color; books that acknowledge historical atrocities; books featuring LGBTQ+ characters; sex education books for teens; all are under... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-02-09 19:49:33 UTC ]
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The Young Adult Library Services Association has announced their 2022 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adult Readers list. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-02-07 17:25:09 UTC ]
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William Collins has landed Marvel star Simu Liu's "honest and inspiring" memoir. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-31 16:51:25 UTC ]
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Works by writers like bell hooks, Damon Young and James Baldwin that will educate and make an impact on everyone. Continue reading at HuffPost
[ HuffPost | 2022-01-31 16:37:38 UTC ]
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The author of "The Family Chao" discusses her homage to "The Brothers Karamazov." Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-01-29 12:00:36 UTC ]
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A nonbinary teenager on their way home from an eating -disorder treatment center who tries to convince a stranger she is not a vampire, an aspiring fashion designer/dry-cleaning worker who develops an obsession with a customer, a community of people with Hansen’s disease that welcome and attempt... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2022-01-27 12:00:00 UTC ]
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A late baby-boomer, I spent my tweens and adolescence in the 1970s under the Tolkien-woven spell of heroic fantasy, immersed in the imagined worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea trilogy (1968-72), Patricia A. McKillip’s Riddlemaster trilogy (1976-79), and Evangeline Walton’s Welsh-myth-remix... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-01-26 09:55:39 UTC ]
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Independent press Scratch Books, "dedicated to the art of the short story", is to launch in London in March, kicking off with an event featuring authors including Irenosen Okojie and Sarah Hall. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-24 22:49:58 UTC ]
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The Vietnamese monk was prominently known for "engaged Buddhism," taking a mindful-but-active approach to contemporary issues. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-24 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The latest book by Benjamin Zephaniah follows a Trinidadian woman who boarded the Windrush to pursue her singing dream. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-22 07:13:29 UTC ]
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Gillian Flynn, Carmen Maria Machado and other authors discuss their creative process. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-01-20 18:04:50 UTC ]
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Death is a common theme in literature, and many of the finest writers of short fiction have explored the fear, event, and aftermath of death using the short-story form. Below, we select and introduce ten of the very best classic short stories which have death as their theme, ranging from […] Continue reading at Interesting Literature
[ Interesting Literature | 2022-01-19 15:00:39 UTC ]
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Andrew Lipstein’s entertaining debut novel mines comedy from an aspiring author’s ethically questionable path to publication. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-01-19 10:00:00 UTC ]
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His 1973 novel "My Uncle Napoleon," affectionately skewering the foibles of his countrymen and women in the decades before the Islamic Revolution, became one of the most phenomenally popular works of modern Persian literature. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-01-19 04:45:33 UTC ]
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The government has decided not to change copyright exhaustion laws for the time being following a consultation which led to a campaign by the industry. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-18 03:06:52 UTC ]
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Once again the children’s writer Julia Donaldson tops the year-end ranking of writers through Nielsen, but a rise in sales of backlist titles saw a number of authors with large oeuvres make an appearance. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-16 10:02:13 UTC ]
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Waterstones has apologised and said it is "deeply embarrassed" after award-winning author Derek Owusu was asked for ID in a London branch when he offered to sign copies of his books. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-16 01:22:08 UTC ]
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Science fiction is full of computer programmes and androids who fall afoul of the plots of some of Shakespeare’s most brutal tragedies. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2022-01-14 13:00:02 UTC ]
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Peters Fraser & Dunlop has entered into an agreement with French publisher J C Lattès to handle all translation rights to the iconic Imogène series by Le Masque author Charles Exbrayat. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-13 14:31:59 UTC ]
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