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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A survey of diversity – or lack of it – in the US books industry makes for dismal reading once moreThe results of a survey of diversity in the world of US publishing were released last month. The figures cover executives, editorial staff, sales, publicity and marketing as well as reviewers,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-02-08 07:00:31 UTC ]
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"Shadow of the Batgirl" author Sarah Kuhn wants young Asian American girls to see they can be the main character in superhero stories too. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-02-08 01:35:48 UTC ]
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Inside a packed room in Culver City on Thursday, Myriam Gurba, Roxane Gay and other writers of color talked about "American Dirt," Macmillan and the "crisis" in U.S. publishing. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-02-07 21:39:43 UTC ]
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'The Resisters,' Gish Jen's first novel in nine years, imagines a class-based dystopian United States. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-02-06 15:00:56 UTC ]
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THE CONTRETEMPS OVER Jeanine Cummins’s American Dirt revolves around a narrative of a publishing industry eager for blockbusters, white authors who inhabit the stories of marginalized people, and embarrassment when the multiple flaws and tone-deaf passages of the hyped-up book are exposed.... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books
[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2020-02-05 18:00:58 UTC ]
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Just a month into 2020 and my wishlist is already straining under the weight of all the new titles I’m looking forward to being published. Maybe it’s working in a bookshop or the concentrated effort I’ve been making to retreat into a fantasy-bubble when I’m at home, but I’ve found myself excited... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-02-03 09:50:09 UTC ]
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Only voters have the power to stop him, Susan Hennessey and Benjamin Wittes write. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-01-31 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn tell the stories of those struggling to stay balanced. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-01-31 04:45:27 UTC ]
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The 13 events left to promote the highly anticipated -- and then, highly-condemned -- novel will instead be replaced by town hall-style discussions between the author, Jeanine Cummins, and critics of the book. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-01-30 12:25:04 UTC ]
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'American Dirt' publisher Flatiron Books announced on Wednesday that it was canceling its book tour with Jeanine Cummins. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-01-29 20:47:11 UTC ]
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In his memoir 'Children of the Land,' poet Marcelo Hernandez Castillo writes of border journeys, family separation and crossing a 'threshold of invisibility.' Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-01-29 15:00:08 UTC ]
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Ocean Vuong, bestselling author of "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous," talks about writing and inspiration with the L.A. Times Book Club. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-01-28 22:54:54 UTC ]
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“The Lying Life of Adults” arrives in the United States in June: An Italian reader’s spoiler-free preview. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-01-28 16:00:00 UTC ]
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Oprah Winfrey is finally addressing the controversy surrounding her latest book club pick, "American Dirt," and promising to take its critics seriously. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-01-27 23:16:21 UTC ]
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Khulood Al Mu’alla Khulood Al Mu’alla was chosen this year as an honorary member of the Costa Rica Poetry Foundation and advisor to the International Poetry Festival of Costa Rica. She was honoured along with three poets as part of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Poets of... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2020-01-27 10:55:59 UTC ]
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‘Do You Compute?’ investigates how technology went from being written off as science fiction to something we engage with every day. In the years following the end of World War II, computers were just starting to make their way into the public consciousness. The intimidatingly technical devices... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2020-01-27 09:00:47 UTC ]
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WILLIAM GIBSON NOTICES THINGS others miss. While his science fiction novels are often described as prescient, what defines Gibson’s body of work is the extraordinary refinement of his focus on the present. When everyone is talking about the features of the latest Silicon Valley gadget, he might... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books
[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2020-01-25 13:30:33 UTC ]
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Quartey’s mysteries, set in Ghana, regularly bring a part of the African continent authentically and strikingly to life. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-01-24 23:38:02 UTC ]
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Jeanine Cummins’s novel, acclaimed by Oprah Winfrey, Stephen King and others, also faces scathing criticism from Latinx writersJeanine Cummins’s British publisher, Headline, is standing shoulder to shoulder with the American press that published her divisive thriller, declaring that it is proud... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-01-24 14:53:36 UTC ]
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Today, Jeanine Cummins appeared at Winter Institute in Baltimore, and as Michael Calder reports for PubishersLunch, commented on the ongoing controversy over her new novel, American Dirt. Bookseller Javier Ramirez, who introduced Cummins, brought up the topic at the end of the formal interview:... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-01-22 18:16:31 UTC ]
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