The Greatest Novelist You Haven’t Read

It is one of the eccentricities of American publishing that James Salter has not been widely embraced as a great writer. His books are as good as those of post-war novelists like John Updike, Philip Roth, Richard Ford, and critics have often said so, and yet he is nowhere near as beloved or popularly read. He is frequently referred to as a “writer’s writer,” which sounds terrible, as if he writes effete, airless sentences, as if his novels and stories were obscure poetic exercises, but none of that is true. His writing is as muscular, as clear, as accessible, as lively as those other writers, and yet he is still somehow relegated to that dreary shelf of “writer’s writers,” but even writers have often never bothered to read him. Continue reading at 'Slate'

[ Slate | 2013-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "The Greatest Novelist You Haven’t Read"


The History of the United States According to Colson Whitehead

Since the publication of his first novel in 1999, Colson Whitehead has become one of the most lauded, prized, taught, and studied American novelists writing today. Winner of the National Book Award, two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize (the only writer apart from William Faulkner and John... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-11-21 09:40:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Christopher Carduff, 'Wall Street Journal' Books Editor, Dies at 66

Carduff, who was named books editor at the 'Wall Street Journal' in 2017, was also a contributing editor for the Library of America Series and the publishing consultant to John Updike's literary trust. He died on August 14. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Scholastic recognizes 100 years of teen writing.

What do Amanda Gorman, Truman Capote, John Updike, and Joyce Carol Oates have in common? Each won a Scholastic Art & Writing Award as a teen. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards began in 1923 and continue to support young writers thanks to The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-08 12:47:48 UTC ]
More news stories like this


What to Read Before and After The Adventures of Saul Bellow

Rejoice, Bellowheads: on December 12th, PBS is premiering the first-ever major documentary on Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winner Saul Bellow. Directed by Asaf Galay and featuring rare archival footage and interviews with Philip Roth, Salman Rushdie, and others, American Masters: The Adventures of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-12-09 09:54:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this


September 24, 2021

“Fitzgerald likes to rub rich people’s monstrousness against their beauty and thereby make sparks fly.” Andrew Martin and Benjamin Nugent discuss F. Scott Fitzgerald on his birthday. | Lit Hub Criticism Biographer Jacques Berlinerblau on why it matters that the literary world lacks critical... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-09-24 10:30:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this


W.W. Norton will take Blake Bailey books out of print

"Philip Roth: The Biography" and the memoir "The Splendid Things We Planned" are axed as Blake Bailey's publisher plans to donate to charities. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-04-27 21:01:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Norton Halts Publication of Bailey’s Roth Bio

W.W Norton announced that it will cease publication of the newly released edition of Blake Bailey’s 'Philip Roth: The Biography,' as well as Bailey’s 2014 memoir 'The Splendid Things We Planned,' and take both works out of print. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Norton Halts Shipments of Blake Bailey's Roth Biography

Norton has temporarily halted the shipment and promotion of Blake Bailey's 'Philip Roth: The Biography' following allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against the author by a number of women. On Monday, Bailey’s literary agency, the Story Factory, dropped the author when those allegations... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


‘Philip Roth,’ by Blake Bailey, is a colorful, confident and uncompromising biographical triumph

At more than 800 pages, the biography also manages to be conversationally readable. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-04-06 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Long-Awaited Return of Gayl Jones

Gayl Jones published her first novel in 1975. It was hailed by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and John Updike. Then Gayl disappeared from the literary scene. Now she's releasing her first novel in 20 years. The post The Long-Awaited Return of Gayl Jones appeared first on The Millions. Continue reading at The Millions

[ The Millions | 2020-08-05 20:30:18 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Colson Whitehead is the youngest writer to win the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction.

It’s been quite a year for Colson Whitehead! First, he won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction (again) and then he received the Orwell Prize for political fiction. And now the Library of Congress is honoring him with their lifetime achievement prize. (Previous recipients include Toni Morrison, Denis... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-07-14 15:56:24 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Philip Roth’s epidemic and ours

His polio novel, ‘Nemesis,’ is a psychic map to our current struggle with coronavirus. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-04-04 22:32:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Revisiting American Short Stories Selected by John Updike

This week, Annalisa Quinn reviews John L’Heureux’s story collection “The Heart Is a Full-Wild Beast.” In 1984, L’Heureux wrote for the Book Review about “The Best American Short Stories 1984,” selected by John Updike. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-01-03 10:00:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Larry Heinemann, Novelist of the Vietnam War, Dies at 75

His “Paco’s Story” was the surprise winner of the National Book Award for fiction in 1987, beating books by Toni Morrison and Philip Roth. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2019-12-17 23:53:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Week in Libraries: May 17, 2019

Among the week's headlines: Richard Ford is honored by the Library of Congress; Sari Feldman reflects on her career; and the 'random' things you can borrow from a public library. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-05-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


'Honey in the Carcase' is Josip Novakovich's darkest and, somehow, most hopeful book yet

Only a few dozen writers have had careers estimable enough to have been nominated for the International Man Booker Prize, an award something like a cooler Nobel. Think Don DeLillo. Lydia Davis. Philip Roth. Joyce Carol Oates. Among the nominees in 2013 was the Croatian-born Josip Novakovich, who... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Philip Roth, Titan of American Fiction, Dies at 85

“The struggle with writing is done.” The Newark-born novelist, whose prolific output was matched perhaps only by his facility with the English language, died of congestive heart failure in Manhattan on May 22. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Books: Daniel Handler goes Philip Roth, Nora Ephron is celebrated and a look at the controversial history of John Smelcer

Welcome to books this week! First, a couple of stories that you can find only online: THE BIG STORY John Smelcer’s YA book “Stealing Indians” is a finalist for the recently announced PEN Center USA awards. Questions about Smelcer have been raised since 1994, when he was teaching at the University... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Judith Jones, editor who discovered Julia Child, dead at 93

Judith Jones, a consummate literary editor who helped revolutionize American cuisine by publishing Julia Child and other groundbreaking cookbook authors, worked for decades with John Updike and Anne... To view the full story, click the title link. Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2017-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The age of anxiety: what does Granta’s best young authors list say about America?

The US is in crisis - what about its literature? Michelle Dean reports on the list of American writers to watch this decade, which is as diverse as the country itselfThe 2017 list in fullIt is a strange time to be making declarations about the nature of American writing. The country’s not... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-04-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this