They interrupt narrative and disrupt plot – no wonder novelists have been slow to warm to mobile phones. But a new generation is putting technology at the heart of their workWhat do you call a phone when it rings in a fictional world? “Mobile” and “cell” are old, “smartphone” is almost a tautology and “phone” is so intrusive that the word seems to ring out shrilly from the page the instant you type it. This may be because we read fiction partly to escape our phones, or it may be that phones, even fictional ones, seem to demand too much of our attention. Telephones, of the kind we all keep handy, are so much a part of daily life we touch them as often as our faces. But phones in fiction require a sleight of hand: if characters use them as realism dictates, they will feel as interruptive on the page as they do at the dinner table. How can authors navigate this challenge?Like bathrooms and paid employment, it is amazing how often phones are dispensed with by many otherwise realist fiction writers. JM Coetzee famously wrote to Paul Auster (in Here and Now, the 2013 selection of their letters) that he was not prepared “to write novels in which people go around with personal electronic devices”. Because, if “everyone has access to more or less everyone else, what becomes of all that plotting?” He also lamented the impact of mobile technology on the “novel of adultery”, though surely Sally Rooney has proved there was nothing to fear. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2023-07-22 10:00:09 UTC ]
The Man Booker Prize has announced its shortlist for the 2017 Man Booker Prize for Fiction, and it includes books by Paul Auster and George Saunders. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Newport Beach is using mobile technology to connect deaf and hard-of-hearing people with municipal services, officials said. Officials recently placed special computer tablets at City Hall, libraries and other facilities so people who need sign-language interpretation can have an on-demand,... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google could be facing a fine up to $4bn after being sued for allegedly not allowing employees to post opinions about the company or write novels without getting their employer to sign off on the final draft. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-12-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Faber & Faber is set to publish Paul Auster's first novel in seven years, an “epic" story of birthright and possibility titled 4 3 2 1. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This week’s regional nonfiction bestsellers help readers answer the big questions, from how best to live to what’s good for the dinner table. Plus Oscar’s touch proves golden for the winning adaptations, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A capacity crowd of approximately 1,000 people turned out to watch BEA's curtain-raising event, a highly anticipated conversation between bestselling novelist Jonathan Franzen and Laura Miller of Salon.com. The discussion centered on 'Purity,' Franzen's fifth novel and his first since 2010's... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reading science fiction, chick lit and fantasy novels by people of colour for a year brought home to me just how white my reading world wasIn 2014, I managed to read 25 novels. All of them were written by people of colour. That was the result of a small challenge I set myself: not to read books... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Affordable, widely available, and packed with nutrition, squash has a lot going for it. Author Rob Firing makes the case for why we should pay more attention to this humble family of gourds. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nearly 900 authors across world back criticism of online retailer's business tactics in ebooks dispute with US publisher HachetteThey include some of the biggest literary names on the planet, among them Stephen King, Donna Tartt, Paul Auster, James Patterson and John Grisham; a Pulitzer prize... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-07-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What can cookbooks tell us about politics, economics, and daily life throughout American history? A new series from Michigan State University Press explores just that. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A first novel with glowing endorsements from such literary lights as Jonathan Franzen, Paul Auster, Geoff Dyer, and John Ashbery—what more could a young writer want? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Chivas Regal is running its first-ever branded Web video series called "Brotherhood" through Dec. 15 on the new Esquire Network's website; the two-month-old NBC Universal initiative is looking to leverage the iconic magazine's brand in the world of cable TV and digital media. Starring Saturday... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2013-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Religion, bathroom routines and politics are three things you should never, ever discuss at the dinner table. However, if you're curious about your neighbors' political reading habits, then you should check out Amazon's Election Heat Map. The bookseller rated the top 250 books with a "clear... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-08-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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There have been quite a few studies aimed at figuring out what makes the so-called "digital native" (i.e. children of the 90's who have had Web access and mobile technology their entire lives) tick. Most of them arrive at some disparaging conclusion or other: "Digital natives are slow to pick up... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2012-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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