When a man routinely hailed as one of America’s “greatest living writers” publishes a new novel, one hardly expects it to draw reviews posing questions along the lines of “Can he do it? Can he actually pull it off?” Because when you’re Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize winner, the act of writing a decent novel ought to be taken as something of a given. But Chabon’s newest book, Telegraph Avenue, out last week, is set against the backdrop of race, and its author undertakes the task of inhabiting and giving life to characters whose skin color is different from his own. The book is a sprawling narrative about the intertwined lives of Archy Stallings and Nat Jaffe, two proprietors, one black and one white, and a used vinyl store trying to survive on the shifting, gentrifying frontier between hippie-dippy Berkeley and its neighbor, the historically black enclave of Oakland. Or, as Chabon neatly puts it, “the ragged fault line where the urban plates of Berkeley and Oakland subducted.” Continue reading at 'Slate'
[ Slate | 2012-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
We used to know what it took to be a writer – you had to publish a book. But electronic publishing is piling pressure on myths of the author's lifeWhat's the difference between making money out of books and writing books that people want to buy? Turns out it's about 40% – if, that is, you... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Traditional book publishing has met its match in the founder of Blackprint press.Yaba Blay has no problem confessing that she is a "recovering overachiever." Which is not surprising since she is also currently a professor of Africana Studies at Drexel University in Philadelphia, co-director of... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2014-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In an eye-catching pairing, Man Booker Prize-winning novelist Roddy Doyle is to partner with ex-... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author Vanessa Curtis, whose novels include Zelah Green and The Haunting of Tabitha Grey (both... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Booker-winning author to help legendary midfielder with 're-evaluation of the meaning of success'The Booker prize-winning novelist Roddy Doyle is to team up with Roy Keane to write a motivational memoir which, according to its publisher, "re-evaluates the meaning of success". The midfield... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Agent Scully actress will use her 'ingrained knowledge and rhythm' for SF to pen multi-volume EarthEnd SagaAfter delving into the paranormal for years as The X-Files' resident sceptic Dr Dana Scully, actor Gillian Anderson is set to create her own science-fictional universe – but this time in... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Digital Book World/Writer's Digest 2014 survey, which polled just over 9,000 authors, found that many, given the chance, would still opt for a traditional book deal. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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If these are the end times for literature, then we must be traveling in circles, for the death of storytelling looks an awful lot like its birth. The novel itself isn’t all that old. Sure, we can find a handful of examples going back thousands of years, but you have to stretch your definition of... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2014-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A comprehensive list of the writers to look for and galleys and finished books available at the ABA conference. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW has compiled a list of the children's books and galleys being given away at this year's Winter Institute, along with the buzz about why specific authors are attending. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The parties will be in court today, with DoJ attorneys accusing Apple of blatantly obstructing the work of the court’s External Compliance Monitor, Michael Bromwich. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rhondda Cynon Taf has approved budget plans that will see more than half of its 26 libraries... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Random House Enterprises is to launch its first interactive online creative writing course. The... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Although she has yet to make an offer, a local author and blogger launched an Indiegogo campaign Monday to raise $15,000 by February 5 to purchase Main Street Books in St. Charles, Mo. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Morrissey is writing a novel, following the success of his memoir released last year.... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In a filing with the district court, the Authors Guild gave notice that it is appealing Judge Denny Chin’s to dismiss its copyright suit over Google’s library scanning program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Call on police and prosecutors by women's group EVAW comes as report reveals extent of sexual harassment on social mediaWomen's groups are calling on the police and prosecutors to treat abuse of women and girls online as "robustly" as they do offline, as a report published on Thursday reveals... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2013-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Previously, independent bookstores tended to stay away from marketing self-published authors, but in the age of Amazon, some are embracing local authors no matter how they released their work. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-12-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Many independent booksellers have begun to have a change of heart about self-published books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Australian authors and critics sift through the piles of books they read in 2013 to highlight the treasures they found. Continue reading at The Sydney Morning Herald
[ The Sydney Morning Herald | 2013-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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