Essay Photos by Mai Al-Nakib / Courtesy of the author Civilizations, empires, dynasties, and monarchies end, leaving behind ruins of their fabled splendor. Traces of achievements become more or less decipherable, contingent upon the mercy of elements and vagaries of time. Global ascents have been awesome. The point, however, is that no matter how accomplished or established the power, no matter how seemingly eternal, its passing is guaranteed. In the shadow of World War II, Walter Benjamin described the angel of history with his face turned toward the past: “Where we perceive a chain of events, he sees one single catastrophe which keeps piling wreckage upon wreckage.” Unlike most of us, the angel of history takes the long view. He bears witness to the rising debris, which periodically may initiate a state of emergency, such as genocide or war. Whether this state of emergency brings about radical transformation or more of the same cannot be determined in advance. A cursory archaeology of our planetary ruins reveals the latter to be the case more frequently. Any citizen of a failing nation-state adopting the angel of history’s long view must ask herself a series of sobering questions. Given its recent past, the parameters of its present, and the constitution of its population and leadership, how likely is it that the kind of sweeping change a country needs in order to survive will occur? Have the sacrifices of the many over... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2021-07-07 12:48:10 UTC ]
News tagged with:
#memoir
A Monitor book critic recalls seven of his favorite author interviews from 2014. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-12-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#authors reflect
Simon & Schuster has seen an "especially" productive year in business, with "encouraging" sales seen after joining US and UK subscription platforms. In an end-of-year letter to staff and authors, Carolyn Reidy, president and c.e.o of Simon & Schuster in the US, said the publisher had... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#simon schuster
#carolyn reidy
#successful year
#multi-year agreement
On his blog, Paul Aiken, former executive director of the Authors Guild, revealed that he has found success in using corticosteroids to combat his ALS/MND symptoms. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#paul aiken
#authors guild
#found success
In his annual year-end letter, Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle cited the merger and thanked the PRH staff for the “impressive feat” of “combining two great legacies.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#dohle reflects
#prh staff
#impressive feat
Urban explorer Andre Govia talks to Co.Design about the risks and rewards behind the scenes of his latest book, Abandoned Planet.Andre Govia describes himself as "addicted to decay." The U.K.-based urban explorer's book of photography, Abandoned Planet, is an extensive tribute to that addiction,... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2014-11-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Al Jazeera America has released Terms of Service, an online graphic novel that is the part of the network’s strategy of tapping into new forms of storytelling. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#big data
A short story collection by Kuwaiti author Mai Al-Nakib has won the 2014 Edinburgh International Book Festival’s First Book Award. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#short stories
#book award
The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association met at the Hotel Murano September 26-28 in Tacoma, Wash., for the annual trade show. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Lauren Child is the latest author to tackle the lack of diversity in children’s books; her... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#lauren child
#latest author
Al Manhal, the UAE-based Arabic digital education publisher, is now offer paperback editions of its work worldwide via Amazon marketplace. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#al manhal
The shortlist for this year’s Orwell Prize for books includes Alan Johnson’s This Boy... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#orwell prize
People keep asking me about Al Gore. I wrote a book, Windfall, about who will profit from climate change. On book tour and in advance of the latest bleak report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, I've been traveling around the country talking about our warmer future. I can't... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2014-04-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#book tour
#stop talking
#al gore
#climate change
Karen Stevens's collection of essays offers practical advice and inspiration for those embarking on the long, lonely journey of writing a novelAccording to Karen Stevens, "writing a novel is the longest and loneliest journey a writer can embark upon". Her collection of essays by established and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Specs Who Brandi Glanville Age 41 Accomplishments Star of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills; author (her new book, Drinking and Dating: P.S. Social Media Is Ruining Romance, will be released Feb. 11) Base Los Angeles What’s the first information you consume in the morning? I guess it... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2014-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#favorite magazines
Oprah is great for women, but she's not talking to men. Isn't it time publishers and the media take men as seriously as readers as the men take themselves? Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#book club
#time publishers
Italian publishing is struggling, but the recent book fair in Rome offered signs of vitality and reflected a strong commitment to carry on. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#italian publishing
Publisher who helped break down legal barriers against pornography dies in Brooklyn after long battle with illness Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2013-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#long battle
Penelope Lively's recent short ebook for Penguin drew criticism for its brevity – but readers should not be put off the genre as a whole"Overpriced", "ridiculous", I feel cheated". Amazon reviewers haven't been wholly positive about a digital short Penelope Lively has written for Penguin... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2013-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Novelist John Grisham talks about his return to Ford County in 'Sycamore Row' and an unpleasant stint as a politician.John Grisham is the world's most successful author of legal thrillers (and one baseball novel, last year's "Calico Joe") with sales of more than 275 million copies to his credit.... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-11-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#john grisham
#sycamore row
#successful author
#popular book
#recently closed
Hilton Als' 'White Girls' is a magnificent collection of essays that mixes criticism and memoir, fiction and nonfiction.Hilton Als' "White Girls" is as much about white girls as the author's previous effort "The Women" was about femininity — which is to say quite a lot and not at all. Like its... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-11-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |