Interviews Renee H. Shea Monique Truong / Photo © Haruka Sakaguchi Monique Truong, who came to the United States in 1975 as a refugee from Vietnam, began exploring untold and ignored histories in her first novel, The Book of Salt (2003), told through the voice of Binh, the cook of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas in Paris. Her autobiographical second novel, Bitter in the Mouth (2010) is a coming-of-age story set in North Carolina. In her most recent novel, The Sweetest Fruits (Viking, 2019), Truong tells the story of Lafcadio Hearn from the perspective of three women: his mother, Rosa; his first wife, Alethea; and his Japanese wife, Setsu. Shea: At its core, The Sweetest Fruits is a story about storytelling—and it’s Russian dolls of narrative! It’s not only that three different women have their say about Hearn and their relationship with him, but each is telling her story to a specific audience—so issues of mediation and agency add further complications, as do oral vs. written stories and translation. How did you arrive at this approach instead of just telling the story in the voice of one person, then the next, then the next? Truong: This question is a Russian doll of inquiries! You’re absolutely right that the novel is interested in the different ways that stories are transmitted to us: oral vs. written, in our mother tongue vs. in translation, private story vs. public history, women’s voices vs. men’s, face-to-face vs.... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2019-09-17 13:54:26 UTC ]
Get into the life of a Civil Rights icon when she's still a girl, learn about Nigerian women protesting, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-09-04 15:35:00 UTC ]
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The cookbook author is bringing her YouTube show to TV, thanks to Tastemade’s streaming channels. Esteemed cookbook author Alison Roman is finally getting a TV show—but not on the Food Network. Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2024-09-03 12:00:00 UTC ]
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A decade ago, it was dusky green matcha. Then came masala chai, yuzu and ube. Now another distinct Asian ingredient is wending its way through New York City’s dining scene.Pandan is a staple ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisine, used to give beverages, desserts and savory dishes a simultaneous... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2024-08-30 10:03:04 UTC ]
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Books that break the fourth wall, a major lawsuit goes after book banes, historical fiction set in Hawaii and more today on Book Riot. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-08-29 16:05:10 UTC ]
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August book clubs read historical fiction set during the Vietnam War, historical mysteries based in Black American and Jewish neighborhoods, dragon-filled romantasies, time traveling romance, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-08-28 15:40:00 UTC ]
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Exploring the Burning Questions: A Conversation with Cara Lopez Lee, by Susan Blumberg-Kason Interviews [email protected] Tue, 08/27/2024 - 15:32 I first came across Cara Lopez Lee on a listserv group (remember those!) for authors who write about... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-08-27 20:32:44 UTC ]
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The Irish literary scene is thriving, which makes choosing just five other Irish writers likely to appeal to fans of Rooney a daunting task. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2024-08-22 11:49:16 UTC ]
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Fall book club picks, historical fiction for kids, the most interesting questions in books, and more today on Book Riot Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-08-21 16:25:00 UTC ]
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Can anyone unseat Kristin Hannah as the bestselling historical fiction book of the moment? Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-08-20 10:15:00 UTC ]
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Plus: historical fiction set in Nigeria and weeding in libraries: what it is, what it isn't, and why you should care. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-08-16 15:15:00 UTC ]
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Nigerian historical fiction is thriving. Here are some excellent books to get you started. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-08-16 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Cookbook author and TV personality Sandra Lee is a co-host and judge on a new Netflix competition series called “Blue Ribbon Baking Championship" out Friday Continue reading at ABC News
[ ABC News | 2024-08-08 14:54:47 UTC ]
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Letter to Mohamed Choukri: Writing between Silence and Prattle, by Mohamed Berrada Cultural Cross Sections [email protected] Wed, 08/07/2024 - 15:25 Mohamed Choukri (left) and Mohamed Berrada / Photo courtesy the estate of Mohamed ChoukriIn the... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-08-07 20:25:04 UTC ]
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Something about historical fiction + fantasy just hits different. What are your faves? Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-08-07 15:30:00 UTC ]
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Queer-Feminist Writing from 1970s Turkey: A Conversation with Maureen Freely on Sevgi Soysal, by Ipek Sahinler Interviews [email protected] Tue, 08/06/2024 - 16:31 Maureen Freely (left) & Funda Soysal (right)Maureen Freely is an author,... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-08-06 21:31:04 UTC ]
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No Sally Rooney, one clear favourite and a novel set in space - this is a longlist of unexpected discoveries and big ideas• Three British novelists make Booker 2024 longlist among ‘cohort of global voices’It is 10 years since the Booker prize expanded its remit to include American novelists. The... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-07-30 13:04:15 UTC ]
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The 13-strong longlist for this year's 2024 Booker Prize has been announced. Among those listed are three debut novelists and several marquee names, including Percival Everett, Rachel Kushner, and Richard Powers. Six Americans made this year's list. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-07-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
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While reading a debut novel, oftentimes, there exists a momentary thrill of forgetting about craft. Instead, it can feel as if these writers grew up alongside their stories—in parallel lines and lives, naturally accumulating sentences with every inch they grew. There is a tender, literary... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2024-07-17 11:00:00 UTC ]
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The National Arts Club recently awarded Colm Tóibín the Medal of Honor for Achievement in Literature. Read remarks by novelists Jeffrey Eugenides and Yiyun Li, who spoke about Tóibín’s influence and friendship. Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-07-17 08:55:27 UTC ]
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An environmentalist mermaid, a cookbook for young scientists, the story of an Olympic champion, and more of today's best kids' book deals! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-07-03 15:05:00 UTC ]
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