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 ]
It took Phaidon, which turned 100 this year, 82 years to step into the kitchen. But once it did, it found a niche of its own—and owned it. Executive commissioning editor of food Emily Takoudes spoke with PW about the publisher's cookbook program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Novelists and poets, Bernardine Evaristo, Jeanette Winterson, Stephen Marche and others, consider the threats and thrilling possibilities of artificial intelligenceChatGPT seems to have blindsided us all. In less than a year it has proved that it can make writers redundant, which is one of the... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-11-11 09:00:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Erin French has the #7 book in the country with 'Big Heart Little Stove,' which follows her cookbook 'The Lost Kitchen' and memoir 'Finding Freedom.' Plus the Fonz writes about 'Being Henry,' and a new hockey romance skates onto our list. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-10 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Barry Enderwick, who posts on social media as Sandwiches of History, aims to recreate the recipes as exactly as possible, before adding a twist that turns the relic into a modern meal idea. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2023-11-08 20:08:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this
A crop of new nonfiction books, all out this coming week, explore the lives and legacies of trailblazing women around the world, from artists and activists to novelists and scientists. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
These must-read historical fiction books set in France span more than 800 years, from the reign of Eleanor of Aquitaine to post-WWII Paris. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-10-26 10:31:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
‘Maman & Me’ author Roya Shariat talks about writing her cookbook while overseeing social impact and partnerships at Glossier. From the time she sat down with Glossier founder Emily Weiss for a job interview, Roya Shariat told anyone who would listen that her dream was to write a cookbook.... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2023-10-25 18:15:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Best of Young British Novelists 2023 ‘Certainly this kind of thing just happened sometimes – it was a glitch, an unfortunate error, and could happen to anyone.’ – Rostrum The post Eley Williams appeared first on Granta. Continue reading at Granta
[ Granta | 2023-10-25 16:21:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Best of Young British Novelists 2023 ‘It dawned on her, the fact sliding ice-cold into her body; now that she had crossed the border into her forties, Alma herself was no longer eligible for the scheme.’ – The Termite Queen The post Olivia Sudjic appeared first on Granta. Continue reading at Granta
[ Granta | 2023-10-25 16:15:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Best of Young British Novelists 2023 ‘She rings a tiny cymbal over your body. She says, The experience is finished now.’ – Best Last Minute Spa Deal for Under £40 The post Yara Rodrigues Fowler appeared first on Granta. Continue reading at Granta
[ Granta | 2023-10-25 15:37:27 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Best of Young British Novelists 2023 ‘I don’t remember his face, nor him as a whole.’ – Kweku The post Derek Owusu appeared first on Granta. Continue reading at Granta
[ Granta | 2023-10-25 14:58:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Best of Young British Novelists 2023 ‘If Wales win tonight, everything will turn out okay.’ – Wales The post Thomas Morris appeared first on Granta. Continue reading at Granta
[ Granta | 2023-10-25 14:51:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Best of Young British Novelists 2023 ‘He was grumpy in a way that I enjoyed. It reassured me that he was easily displeased – he was discerning, I thought.’ – Circles The post Anna Metcalfe appeared first on Granta. Continue reading at Granta
[ Granta | 2023-10-25 14:45:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Best of Young British Novelists 2023 ‘The monstrous years of my late teens lay lined up alongside the rest of my life like bullets in a gun.’ – Theories of Care The post Sophie Mackintosh appeared first on Granta. Continue reading at Granta
[ Granta | 2023-10-25 14:39:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Ananda Devi Wins the 2024 Neustadt Prize News and Events [email protected] Tue, 10/24/2023 - 18:02 Ananda Devi, winner of the Neustadt International Prize for Literature. Photo by J. F. Paga, courtesy of GrassetNORMAN, OKLA. (Tuesday, October 24,... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2023-10-24 23:02:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this
After you've listened to the EMPIRE podcast, these history and historical fiction books will deepen your understanding of the subject. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-10-19 10:32:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
When you hear the phrase “queer history,” how far back does your mind go? For many, there’s a sense that LGBTQIA+ history is fairly recent, starting with Marsha P. Johnson or maybe Oscar Wilde. Beyond that, we start to get into murky territory: stories of “lifelong bachelors” and “happy... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2023-10-17 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
This essay isn’t about World War II. But like any historical fiction writer publishing in 2023, it’s impossible to ignore the recent wave of WWII novels that fill bookstore shelves at the moment. As someone who reads and enjoys many of these books but has no desire to write one, I have a theory... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-17 08:45:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this
A prominent cookbook author, critic and memoirist, she reinvigorated the dishes of her native France with a globe-trotter’s sensibility. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-10-13 19:06:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this
From haunting historical fiction to poetic contemporary fiction, these 10 Haitian books in translation are worth picking up. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-10-11 10:34:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this