Remembering Joan Didion: ‘Her ability to operate outside of herself was unparalleled’

The American author was not only brilliant but also generous and kind to younger writers, writes Emma BrockesThere is that famous photo of Joan Didion, taken in Malibu in 1976, in which she leans on a deck overlooking the beach, cigarette in hand, scotch glass at her elbow, and regards her family – John Dunne, her husband, and their then 10-year-old daughter, Quintana – through lowered, side-long eyes. Like other iconic photos of Didion from the period, she is at one remove from the group, off to the side and in this case, looking not at the camera but at her family as they look at the camera. It’s the pose Didion perfected, in life as in art, and when news of her death at the age of 87 broke on Thursday, it was a shock to see another frame from that sequence surface online. In it, Didion, eyes fixed forward, smiles broadly at the camera in the conventional style – a rare glimpse behind the persona.The paradox of Didion was not unusual among writers, whose confidence is often born of a million anxieties. But her ability to operate outside herself – to measure the gap between inside and out and slyly mock any effort to conceal it – was unparalleled. She was, famously and by her own account, diffident, brittle, runtish, prone to migraines, afraid of the telephone, and as she wrote in the preface to her 1968 collection Slouching Towards Bethlehem, “bad at interviewing people”, apparent deficits that, in Didion’s hands, were of course precisely what permitted her entry to... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2021-12-24 18:44:54 UTC ]
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Remembering Samuel Roth, the Bookseller Who Defied America’s Obscenity Laws

Samuel Roth was the sort of bookseller whose wares came wrapped in brown paper. Titles like Gershon Legman’s The Sexual Conduct of Men and Women, Maxwell Bodenheim’s My Life and Loves in Greenwich Village, and most notoriously his anthologized periodical of high-brow smut, American Aphrodite: A... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-07-03 08:56:41 UTC ]
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ALA 2024: An Unparalleled Opportunity: PW Talks with Emily Drabinski

With her term winding down, the outgoing ALA president reflects on an eventful year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-06-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Exclusive: Read a new poem by National Book Award finalist Joan Wickersham.

In September, poet Joan Wickersham’s No Ship Sets Out To Be A Shipwreck will be published by Eastover Press. Lit Hub got a sneak peak, and we’re excited to share a new poem from the collection. According to the publisher, No Ship Sets Out To Be A Shipwreck is a poetic and philosophical... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-04-15 13:30:20 UTC ]
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‘She was like an auntie to me’: Lynne Reid Banks remembered by Michael Morpurgo

The astonishing breadth of her writing was a great inspiration – as was she, in her passionate advocacy for children’s books• Lynne Reid Banks, author of The Indian in the Cupboard, dies aged 94It is quite rare to find a writer like Lynne Reid Banks, who tries so many different subjects, and so... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-04-08 10:18:15 UTC ]
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Remembering Sybil Steinberg

'Publishers Weekly' and the publishing industry mourn the loss of the "literary kingmaker," who died March 17 at age 90. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Remembering Stephen Rubin, with an Evening of Words and Music

About 200 friends attended a memorial service on Thursday evening at New York’s Metropolitan Club to celebrate the memory of the influential publisher and noted opera buff, who died last October. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-01 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Remembering India’s Asoke Ghosh: ‘Friend, Mentor, and Guide’

Called by some 'the father of Indian publishing,' publisher Asoke Ghosh was active in the International Publishers Association's work. The post Remembering India’s Asoke Ghosh: ‘Friend, Mentor, and Guide’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-02-06 23:12:12 UTC ]
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Wonderwell Closes Publishing Operations, Partners with Greenleaf on New Imprint

Hybrid publisher Wonderwell has shut down its publishing operations, and on February 1 will launch a new imprint, Wonderwell Press, as part of the Greenleaf Book Group. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-30 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee on Remembering Earth

Emergence Magazine is an online publication with annual print edition exploring the threads connecting ecology, culture, and spirituality. As we experience the desecration of our lands and waters, the extinguishing of species, and a loss of sacred connection to the Earth, we look to emerging... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-01-22 09:02:59 UTC ]
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2023 In Memoriam: Children’s Book Creators and Publishers Remembered

See our tributes to children’s authors, illustrators, and publishers we have lost this year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Former NHLer Billy MacMillan remembered as humble, well-respected friend

Billy MacMillan, a former NHL player known for his work ethic and friendship, died Friday at the age of 80. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-07-16 16:03:30 UTC ]
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Remembering Cormac McCarthy and Robert Gottlieb

Two giants of the literary world died last week. In this episode, the Book Review celebrates their lives. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-06-23 22:11:22 UTC ]
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Time Hires Mark Howard as Its New Chief Operating Officer, Ushering in ‘Time 3.0’

The general news publisher Time has hired media executive Mark Howard as its new chief operating officer, according to a memo shared by chief executive officer Jessica Sibley. Howard, who will relocate to New York for the position, begins Monday. In the role, Howard will oversee operations... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2023-06-12 11:31:44 UTC ]
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SPD Looks to Overhaul Operating Model via GoFundMe

Small Press Distribution executive director Kent Watson said that crowdfunding an overhaul of the nonprofit literary distributor's operating model is the best way to improve services for the roughly 400 presses it represents. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In England: Children’s Book Publisher Peter Usborne Remembered

The founder of England's Usborne Publishing, Peter Usborne, is said to have died 'unexpectedly but peacefully,' surrounded by family. The post In England: Children’s Book Publisher Peter Usborne Remembered appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-04-03 17:12:06 UTC ]
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Remembering Pat Schroeder

Tina Jordan, deputy editor of the 'New York Times Book Review,' and former Macmillan CEO John Sargent share memories of working with the former American Booksellers Association CEO over 12 very active years. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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IVP Shifts Operations to Focus on Editorial Strengths

In a move its says will allow it to focus on acquisitions and reaching younger, digital-driven readers, IVP is outsourcing its distribution and product fulfillment services via Longleaf Services. The switch will eliminate 13 positions at IVP by September 1. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Small Press Distribution Launches GoFundMe to Support New Operating Model

One of the few remaining distributors specializing in distributing independent publishers has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help underwrite a plan to close a warehouse, partner with other distributors, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Remembering an American Writer: Anthony Walton on James Alan McPherson’s Essays and Legacy

James Alan McPherson is famous as the first Black writer to win the Pulitzer Prize in fiction; a new book aims to bring fresh attention to his masterful nonfiction. The volume’s editor, poet and writer Anthony Walton, joins V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell to discuss On Becoming an... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-02-16 09:55:09 UTC ]
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In Italy: Remembering Publisher Achille Mauri

The Italian and international publishing industries remember Achille Mauri while celebrating a record result from #ioleggoperché. The post In Italy: Remembering Publisher Achille Mauri appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-01-11 14:02:25 UTC ]
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