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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Children's author Katey Howes, whose picture books often focused on STEM/STEAM themes, creativity, and individualism, died suddenly on May 20 in Langhorne, Pa.; she was 47. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-06-04 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Florence Minor, best known for numerous picture book collaborations with her husband, illustrator Wendell Minor, died on May 21 after a battle with ovarian cancer; she was 74. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-05-23 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Bestselling author of Lace and Superwoman and women’s editor for the Daily Mail and the Observer Shirley Conran, who has died aged 91, supplied interviewers with a multi-page CV, but her life could be summarised on a book dust jacket. All that was needed was her surname – from her first husband,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-05-10 12:06:47 UTC ]
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April, remarkably, is here already—remarkable only, I suppose, because my internal calendar is still stuck on January all too often—and that means that warmer weather and wonderful blooms are also here, both of which I love. (And a solar eclipse on the 8th!) And what better to usher in the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-04-01 08:32:36 UTC ]
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Prolific author-illustrator Mike Thaler, best known for his many riddle books and his humorous Black Lagoon Adventures series, died on March 23; he was 87. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
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My father, Nick Jacobs, who has died aged 85, was a publisher who brought German writers closer to British readers at a time when there was little interest in doing so. Few have paid attention to the dissemination of German literature in the English-speaking world as much as he did.While in... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-03-27 12:24:19 UTC ]
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French author-illustrator Laurent de Brunhoff, acclaimed for carrying on the legacy of beloved character Babar the elephant, first illustrated by his father Jean, died on March 22; he was 98. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Accomplished painter and children's book author-illustrator Leonard Everett Fisher, widely known for his atmospheric, realistic artwork in books focused on American and world history and world mythology, died on March 2 at age 99. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Graphic designer whose distinctive typographic work graced Penguin book covers, museum signage and London monumentsPhil Baines, who has died aged 65 of multiple system atrophy, was one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary British graphic design. His work included books, posters, art... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-03-12 15:46:29 UTC ]
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Prolific children's book author Kate Banks, known for prose praised as lyrical, clever, and graceful, died February 24 in Switzerland, following a long illness; she was 64. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Award-winning author-illustrator Petra Mathers, known for her naive-flavored pencil and watercolor artwork, died on February 6; she was 78. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-27 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Esteemed children's editor Dinah Stevenson, lauded for being a keen spotter of talent and for shepherding numerous books and authors to the industry's highest accolades, died on January 23 at 81. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-01 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's author, educator, and free speech champion Robie Harris, best known for her stories about young children's powerful emotions and her frequently challenged and banned books on human sexuality, including 'It's Perfectly Normal,' died on January 6 at 83. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-18 05:00:00 UTC ]
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In the anthology “Critical Hits,” gamers like Hanif Abdurraqib, Alexander Chee and Larissa Pham explain what the medium means to them. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-11-20 10:00:28 UTC ]
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My friend Caroline Gilfillan, who has died aged 71, was a multitalented musician, novelist and poet with a vibrant and adventurous spirit.Her poems won awards, including a Yeovil literary prize in 2019. She published four collections, including Pepys in 2012 and Yes in 2010, which won best... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-10-31 17:19:12 UTC ]
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My father, Tim Harland, who has died unexpectedly aged 65, was co-founder with my mother, Maddy, of Permanent Publications, a publishing company that specialises in books on permaculture, which is an innovative approach to regenerative land management, sustainable lifestyles and communities.From... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-10-22 11:10:09 UTC ]
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#innovative approach