On stage and screen, self-referential works such as A Strange Loop and American Fiction are on the rise, with playful postmodernism a potent weapon in the fight against inequalityOfficers storm a ballroom, releasing a flurry of bullets that pierce through a Black man as he collapses in a pool of his own blood. Monk, American Fiction’s neurotic protagonist, is unarmed, clutching nothing more than an ill-gotten literary award. It could end here. Yet – spoiler alert! – in the final act of the recent Oscar-winning film its writers take us along for the ride as they toy with reaching for a romantic reconciliation with Monk’s disgruntled ex-girlfriend or even fading to black with no resolution.American Fiction, an adaptation of Percival Everett’s novel Erasure, sees Monk, a middle-class Black academic, struggle to get his highly intellectual books published because they aren’t “Black enough”. In order to make some money for his family he writes Fuck, a Black working-class struggle narrative laden with violence, crime and pain. He instantly finds fame and fortune and is embraced by the cultural elite, who think he’s brave for being so authentic. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2024-05-06 08:00:34 UTC ]
The annual Prize for American Fiction, one of the LoC's most prestigious awards, honors an American literary writer "whose body of work is distinguished not only for its mastery of the art but also for its originality of thought and imagination." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-07-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In 2012, a colleague and I decided to curate an interview series for the website where we then worked; we boldly and cleverly titled said series The Future of American Fiction. Yes, imagine it in (internet) lights. Per the title, we asked a handful of young and formally or thematically... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-09-30 08:48:58 UTC ]
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A second chance. A final act. A rebirth. For its founders, Jamie Raab and Deb Futter, Celadon Books is a chance to close out their careers on their own terms. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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“The struggle with writing is done.” The Newark-born novelist, whose prolific output was matched perhaps only by his facility with the English language, died of congestive heart failure in Manhattan on May 22. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Library of Congress, which awarded Denis Johnson with the 2017 Prize for American Fiction, invited several prize-winning writers to talk about the issues raised in his fiction—and in modern society—of violence, addiction, marginality, and isolation. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Three bodies in the WIRED Book Club talk religion and science in the final act of Liu Cixin's mind-bending book. The post WIRED Book Club: Picking Apart the Satisfying, Uncheesy End of Three-Body Problem appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2016-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nothing pains me quite as much as having to admit I might have been wrong about something. But news breaking last week may force me to reconsider my opinion of Dave Eggers' 2013 novel "The Circle."I don't think the book has gotten any better. The main character is still annoying and, worse, a... Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2016-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Maya Angelou’s final act of love and compassion for her mother and how parents can help heighten religious tolerance are among the most-talked about topics online today. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After attending a panel discussion on 'The Crisis of American Fiction,' in which an all-male panel discussed only male authors for an entire hour, author Kamila Shamsie began to research the dearth of women in publishing and literary fiction. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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