Author of the 1970s cult bestseller Zen and the Art of Motorcycle MaintenanceWhen, in 1968, Robert Pirsig, who has died aged 88, sent a synopsis and sample of his novel Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to 122 publishers, only one showed any interest, and James Landis, the editor who responded from William Morrow, warned him not to expect either a large advance or big sales. But within a month Pirsig set off on his Honda Super Hawk, accompanied by his young son, Chris, and friends John and Sylvia Sutherland, on the 17-day journey from Minneapolis to San Francisco that, six years, two drafts and some 700,000 words later, became the basis of an immediate bestseller. Millions of readers were drawn to this guidebook for the transition of a culture from the rebellious 1960s to the “me generation” of the 70s.George Steiner’s New Yorker review, titled Uneasy Rider, famously compared the book to Herman Melville’s sprawling masterpiece Moby-Dick; other reviewers mentioned Thoreau, whose American transcendentalism also sought to link everyday life and the metaphysical. In a road novel in the spirit of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, Pirsig drew on the aphoristic humour of hippy writers such as Richard Brautigan. “Metaphysics is a restaurant where they give you a 30,000-page menu and no food,” he wrote. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2017-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author of the 1970s cult bestseller Zen and the Art of Motorcycle MaintenanceWhen, in 1968, Robert Pirsig, who has died aged 88, sent a synopsis and sample of his novel Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to 122 publishers, only one showed any interest, and James Landis, the editor who... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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American editor who worked with many celebrated authors including Anthony Burgess, Doris Lessing and Joseph HellerRobert Gottlieb, who has died age 92, was the outstanding literary editor of the second half of the 20th century. Among the renowned novelists he worked with were Doris Lessing, Toni... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-06-26 16:14:17 UTC ]
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My friend Robert Molteno, who has died aged 79, was the editorial director of Zed Books for 27 years and helped build its reputation as the pre-eminent radical academic publisher concerned with the developing world.Robert combined a sharp analysis of current issues with a commitment to scholars... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-05-01 18:10:50 UTC ]
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Prolific children's book author-illustrator and fine artist Robert M. Quackenbush died on May 17; he was 91. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Writer and children's book author Robert Kimmel Smith, widely known for such popular middle grade novels as 'Chocolate Fever' and 'The War with Grandpa,' died on April 18 at his home in Manhattan; he was 89. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-04-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Bob Gray, publisher of Central Recovery Press, 57, died on October 15, 2015, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after a long illness. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children’s book author Robert San Souci, known for his retellings of folktales and myths, died suddenly on December 19 at his San Francisco home. He was 68. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Life Studies is Robert Lowell’s best-known and most influential book. It won the National Book Award for poetry in 1960. I read it in 1962 and I hated it. In a shallow way, my dislike was a matter of social class. I said aloud to Lowell’s book, “Yeah, I had a grandfather, too.” Like my […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-10-13 08:57:28 UTC ]
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In “McNeal,” the playwright Ayad Akhtar explores the way artificial intelligence is disrupting the literary world and raising questions about creativity. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-10-26 09:04:14 UTC ]
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Esteemed author and educator Lore Segal, who wrote and translated clever and sunny children's tales alongside the autobiographical adult stories and novels informed by her early life as a Jewish refugee during WWII, died on October 7 at her home in Manhattan. She was 96. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-10-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Television commentator and the moral conscience of snooker through his campaigning journalism on the sportClive Everton, who has died aged 87, was known to millions worldwide as the calm, authoritative voice of televised snooker, but of even greater importance was his work as a campaigning... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-10-03 16:19:28 UTC ]
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Michael Bowyer, who has died aged 95, was the author of many aviation books as well as a dedicated primary school teacher. His encyclopedic knowledge and rigorous research enhanced his many popular publications.His book on the RAF’s versatile Mosquito, co-authored with C Martin Sharp, was... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-09-30 16:48:55 UTC ]
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There is nothing wrong with mining content for data, but it has to be properly regulated and creators must be compensatedJustine Roberts is the CEO of MumsnetAfter nearly 25 years as a founder of Mumsnet, I considered myself pretty unshockable when it came to the workings of big tech. But my jaw... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-09-28 07:00:09 UTC ]
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The Power Broker at 50, and new book cover trend, and remembering Steve Silberman in today's book news. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-09-11 16:35:46 UTC ]
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Author Francine Pascal, whose massively popular Sweet Valley High series broke new ground—and several records—in the YA publishing realm, died July 28; she was 92. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-08-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Dilys Evans, a trailblazing representative of children’s book illustrators, and a fierce champion for recognition of their contributions to the fine arts world, died July 23; she was 88. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-08-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's author, illustrator, animator, and designer James Proimos died on July 8. He was 68. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-07-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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