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 ]

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Dragons Are People Too: Ursula Le Guin’s Acts of Recognition

Nobody would dare to boil down Ursula Le Guin’s marvelous writing—all that fantasy, all that science fiction, poetry, essays, translations—into one idea. But in a pinch I’d pick two sentences from her 2014 National Book Award speech: “Capitalism[’s] power seems inescapable. So did the divine... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-08-24 10:00:21 UTC ]
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Book Riot’s SFF Deals for August 21, 2023

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The Best SFF eBook Deals for August 14, 2023

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Levelling up: how Gabrielle Zevin’s gaming novel became the book of the summer

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow overtook titles by David Walliams and Colleen Hoover to become the UK’s number one bestseller. The author, booksellers and fans reflect on how it became a literary phenomenonTomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’s distinctive cover, with its image of Hokusai’s... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-08-11 10:00:35 UTC ]
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The Bestselling Science Fiction Books of All Time

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Here are Today’s SFF eBook Deals for Under $5!

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A Summary and Analysis of Isaac Asimov’s ‘Eyes Do More Than See’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘Eyes Do More Than See’ is a very short story by Isaac Asimov (1920-92), which originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in April 1965. Background The story had a curious genesis. In 1964, Playboy magazine (which published... Continue reading at Interesting Literature

[ Interesting Literature | 2023-08-06 14:00:04 UTC ]
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8 of the Best New Science Fiction and Fantasy Books To Read in August 2023

These new science fiction and fantasy books out August 2023, including More Perfect by Temi Oh, deal with everything from ghosts to aliens to war machines. Continue reading at Book Riot

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Octavia Butler Avenue Designated in Lake Forest Park, Wash.

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The Best New Korean Literature In Translation

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My big Birmingham bookshop crawl: why booksellers are suddenly thriving

In 2009, two bookshops a week were closing in the UK and the days of physical books seemed numbered. Now, indie stores are booming. What explains the turnaround – and can it be sustained?When Sarah Mullen was asked to set up a children’s book festival in a leafy suburb of Birmingham in 2012, she... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-27 09:00:32 UTC ]
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When the Sensibility of Art Meets the Pragmatism of Science: A Conversation with Tlotlo Tsamaase, by Darlington Chibueze Anuonye

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7 Novels That Reveal Librarians Behind the Shelves

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[ Electric Literature | 2023-07-20 11:00:00 UTC ]
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10 of the Best Historical Science Fiction Books

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An A-Z Alphabet of Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors of Color

Looking to diversify your reading list? Then this alphabet of SFF authors of color is a great place to start! Continue reading at Book Riot

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SFF eBooks On Sale Today for Under $5!

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The Rest is History: Andrew Ridker on Writing About the Recent Past

For years I refused to read historical fiction. It seemed to me that there was something artificial—dishonest, even—in summoning a time and place that hadn’t been experienced firsthand. I couldn’t see past the affected dialogue, the funny hats, and my suspicion that the author was making it all... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-07-12 08:51:46 UTC ]
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Christian Publishers Add More Sci-fi/Fantasy Titles

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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