Roberto Bolaño’s Tantrums, by Ilan Stavans

Essay “Literature was a vast minefield occupied by enemies,” Roberto Bolaño, who enjoyed accruing enemies in the pantheon of Latin American letters, writes in the short story “Meeting with Enrique Lihn” (New Yorker, December 22, 2008): except for a few classic authors (just a few), and every day I had to walk through that minefield, where any false move could be fatal, with only the poems of Archilochus to guide me. It’s like that for all young writers. There comes a time when you have no support, not even from friends, forget about mentors, and there’s no one to give you a hand; publication, prizes, and grants are reserved for the others, the ones who said “Yes, sir,” over and over, or those who praised the literary mandarins, a never-ending horde distinguished only by their aptitude for discipline and punishment—nothing escapes them and they forgive nothing. Aptitude for discipline and punishment Bolaño himself had aplenty, too. And in spite of his precarious health, he had stamina. At a young age, he had made up his mind he would die. Who cared if he annoyed others? His mission, as is clear from The Savage Detectives (1998), was to upend that tradition, to take it by the neck and expose its platitudes. What is the use of sacred cows if not to be desecrated? Indeed, every tradition needs an enfant terrible, maybe more than one. When was the last time a rabble-rouser came along in Latin American literature? As Bolaño put it in... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'

[ World Literature Today | 2022-02-28 21:05:10 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "Roberto Bolaño’s Tantrums, by Ilan Stavans"


Her Francophilia Saved Her From the Death Camps, but Not From Great Danger

In “A Bookshop in Berlin,” Françoise Frenkel describes a life devoted to French literature and her escape from the Nazis across occupied France. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2019-12-12 16:02:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Bookshop Heroes to be crowned in new Bookseller feature backed by BA and HarperCollins

The Bookseller is to create a Rising Stars-style listing of individual booksellers to coincide with the Booksellers Association Conference in September 2020. The Bookshop Heroes special, supported by the BA and sponsored by HarperCollins, will be published to coincide with the annual conference.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-11 22:52:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this


World Literature Today’s 75 Notable Translations of 2019, by Michelle Johnson

News and Events Michelle Johnson In 2019 WLT continued publishing fiction, poems, interviews, and essays in translation—publishing more than 50 pieces from languages ranging from Albanian to Zoque—along with pieces by translators about their work. In... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2019-12-10 14:32:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this


“Redshift”

The Science Fiction Writers Association does not tell him much, only that he will be taken in the dead of night to shoot down to Los Angeles in a high-speed train. There will be two men, they tell him, who will ride with him and deliver him to his final destination. As she books his […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-12-10 09:48:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The best books to read — and gift — in December

End-of-year titles, from wild science fiction to road-tripping memoirs, make promising presents. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2019-12-03 18:10:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Why Is Chinese Sci-Fi Everywhere Now? Ken Liu Knows

The Massachusetts-based translator has done more than anyone to bridge the gap between Chinese science fiction and American readers. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2019-12-03 10:00:21 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Beginner’s Guide to Chinese Science Fiction

Chinese science fiction is a rich world of diverse, engaging stories that expand one's mind. But with all that is out there, where should you start? Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2019-11-27 11:39:41 UTC ]
More news stories like this


New Blue Bear Bookshop opens as 'thank you' to Farnham

A new bookshop has been opened in Farnham, Surrey, as a “gift” to say thank you to the town. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-24 14:46:01 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The best science fiction and fantasy of 2019

There were too many to choose from. Our reviewers explain their picks, from “The Hanging Artist” to “The Night Tiger” Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2019-11-21 14:12:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Authors call out John Lewis for 'similarities' between Christmas ad and children's books

John Lewis' Christmas advert has come under fire as author and former bookseller Jen Campbell highlighted the similarities between the advert and her children’s book Franklin’s Flying Bookshop (Thames & Hudson). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-18 10:24:18 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Starry Lite: Isaac Asimov’s Space Ranger

In this week’s Dispatches from The Secret Library, Dr Oliver Tearle reads the first novel in Isaac Asimov’s juvenile science fiction series Science fiction set in our own solar system arguably began with Lucian, the classical author whose short satirical piece True History paved the way for... Continue reading at Interesting Literature

[ Interesting Literature | 2019-11-15 15:00:55 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Lin-Manuel Miranda is not throwing away his shot (to reopen the Drama Book Shop).

A bookshop that runs independently Meanwhile, Amazon keeps shittin’ on us endlessly Essentially, the rent keeps rising relentlessly Let the tourists come around, go on a spending spree Stop by, exchange ideas, sip some coffee There will be a cultural revolution in this city Enter me, the Drama... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-12 21:44:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this


This mesmerizing 3D map visualizes millions of scientific studies

The dense, interconnected network charts decades of collaboration and research. Nature, the multidisciplinary scientific journal founded in London in 1869, celebrates its 150th anniversary this week. Known for its innovative approach to publishing original research across all sorts of scientific... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2019-11-11 08:00:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Toronto Bookstore Amplifies Marginalized Voices

Another Story Bookshop is focused on social justice and diversity, continuing the mission its founder established over 30 years ago. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2019-11-09 10:00:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Here’s why you should preorder all your books from independent bookstores.

Who doesn’t love an independent bookshop? Think of the Shop Around the Corner in You’ve Got Mail! Think of the Travel Book Co. in Notting Hill! Embryo Concepts in Funny Face! Black Books from the British sitcom of the same name! Think of the real brick-and-mortar bookshop in your own community.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-08 19:34:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Did This Iconic 1962 Short Film Show Us Our Dark Future?

This past summer, I stumbled across a link on social media to Chris Marker’s 1962 science fiction film La Jetée. For those who don’t know it, Marker’s miniature masterpiece—its running time is 28 minutes—mixes black-and-white stills with narration to tell the story of a man who circles back in... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-07 09:49:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this


What We're Reading – October 2019

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine EvaristoSince studying Lara as a student, I have been a fan of Bernardine Evaristo’s work, and am delighted to see her win the Booker Prize this year. Girl, Woman, Other follows the lives of twelve black characters with different backgrounds and experiences, most... Continue reading at British Council global

[ British Council global | 2019-10-30 09:49:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Hackney bookshop Telling Tales moves into canal boat

Independent bookshop Telling Tales has moved aboard a purpose-built canal boat to roam through London's canals and beyond.   Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-30 00:02:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Apocalyptic Childhood: On Cixin Liu’s “Supernova Era”

CIXIN LIU IS having a moment. The recent publication in English of his Three-Body Problem trilogy has been rightly hailed as a sea change for Chinese science fiction in translation, garnering myriad awards and receiving wide acclaim — including an endorsement from Barack Obama. The Wandering... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books

[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2019-10-29 17:00:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Can Bookshop Become the Indie Amazon?

The soon-to-launch platform aims to give booksellers an edge against the e-tail giant. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this