Will Self: ‘I’m seen as a still-walking dead white man’

The novelist on his new collection of journalism, why he regrets criticising Sally Rooney and how he’s never shaken off the influence of JG Ballard“I’ll see your eidolon next Tuesday,” writes Will Self, 61, when I email to arrange a video call to discuss his new collection of journalism, Why Read: Selected Writings 2001-2021, which is centred on the concern (as he later told me, or my on-screen spirit-image) that “people are dumbing down their entire response to their own culture by their unfettered use of social media”. Self’s 26 previous books include Umbrella, shortlisted for the Booker prize in 2012, and its sequels Shark and Phone, the latter a single 624-page paragraph which the Telegraph called an “epic anti-tweet”. Speaking from his home in south London, he said he liked the description “because the book was a deliberate attempt to call people’s attention to what was being lost by the digital. I don’t think the Umbrella trilogy is that hard to read at all; it’s only hard to read in contrast to a tweet. By Donald Trump!”How did you pick the pieces in Why Read?Until fairly recently, certainly since 2001, I probably wrote an average of 150,000 words of journalism every year, so there’s a vast amount to choose from. My New York editor said that in the age of the web, collections like this need a theme or else readers feel they’re just getting a grab bag they could’ve sourced themselves. So the emphasis fell on the impact on reading and writing of what I choose to call... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2022-11-26 18:00:32 UTC ]
News tagged with: #south london #deliberate attempt #readers feel #grab bag #observer order #delivery charges #books include

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Will Self: ‘I’m seen as a still-walking dead white man’'


Jack White's Third Man Records launches publishing wing

The innovative artist hopes to contribute to the 'thrilling independent American literary landscape' with his label's expansion White: 'I'm like Larry David, Alan Partridge and Chris Rock'Jack White's Third Man Records is expanding: the label will officially launch its new publishing wing next... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #alan partridge #chris rock #officially launch #publishing wing


A Summary and Analysis of Richard Wright’s ‘The Man Who Was Almost a Man’

‘The Man Who Was Almost a Man’ is a short story by the American author Richard Wright (1908-60), originally published as ‘Almos’ a Man’ in Harper’s Bazaar in 1940 before being revised by Wright later in his life. The final version was published in 1960. In the story, a black […] Continue reading at Interesting Literature

[ Interesting Literature | 2022-11-11 15:00:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #richard wright #short story #originally published #final version #american author


In ‘The Great Man Theory’ a middle-aged man can’t shift out of neutral

Teddy Wayne's novel is a character study of a protagonist stuck in a rut of self-regard. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2022-07-12 14:30:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #teddy wayne #character study


Fat White Family story snared by White Rabbit

White Rabbit has secured a deal for Ten Thousand Apologies: Fat White Family and the Miracle of Failure about the “country’s most notorious rock band”.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-16 01:05:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #white rabbit


Craig White Takes Over from Randall White at EDC

Longtime Educational Development Corp. chairman, CEO, and president Randall White has turned over leadership of the company to his son Craig White, who has been named CEO and president. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-07-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #named ceo


Ruby Hamad’s essay about White women’s tears went viral. ‘White Tears/Brown Scars’ delves deeper into performative victimhood.

The essays outline how a tactical affect upholds the status quo of white privilege and power. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-10-16 11:26:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ruby hamad #white women #status quo #white privilege


White House Letter: Lucrative Book Deals Might Finance the Obamas’ Post-White House Life

President Obama on the South Lawn of the White House in July. He could earn as much as $30 million with a two- or three-book contract once his second term ends, said Raphael Sagalyn of the ICM/Sagalyn Literary Agency. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2016-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #president obama #white house #$30 million #three-book contract


Jill Ciment’s New Memoir Revisits Her Affair With a Much Older Man

Jill Ciment’s 1996 memoir “Half a Life” described her teenage affair with the man she eventually married. Her new memoir, “Consent,” dramatically revises some details. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-06-10 09:02:59 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #older man #memoir


“Last Acts” Is a Father-Son Story Where Neither Man Knows How To Communicate

Alexander Sammartino’s debut novel Last Acts opens on David Rizzo, owner of a failing firearms store located in an Arizona strip mall, en route to the hospital to retrieve his estranged son Nick, an addict who has just briefly experienced death in the form of a drug overdose. Grappling with what... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-05-29 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #acts opens #communicate appeared #father-son story #david rizzo #en route #drug overdose #electric literature #debut novel


Is print dead? Not at this indie bookstore publishing L.A.'s untold stories

A local electrical engineer with a passion for literature is on a mission to share the stories of local authors who have struggled to break into the mainstream publishing industry. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-05-20 10:00:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #untold stories #local authors #bookstore


Cover Reveal: ‘Yr Dead’ by Sam Sax

We’re thrilled to reveal the cover for Sam Sax‘s forthcoming debut novel Yr Dead, slated for August 6.  Here’s a bit about the book, courtesy of McSweeney: In between the space of time when Ezra lights themself on fire and when Ezra dies the world of this book flashes before their eyes. Everyone... Continue reading at The Millions

[ The Millions | 2024-04-18 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #cover reveal #debut novel


2024 Whiting Awards Recognize Emerging Writers

Aaliyah Bilal, Elisa Gonzalez, Javier Zamora, and Ada Zhang are among the 10 winners of this year's Whiting Awards for emerging writers of poetry, fiction, nonfiction and drama. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-04-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #emerging writers


Gerald Levin, the former Time Warner CEO who engineered a disastrous mega-merger, is dead at 84

Gerald Levin, who led Time Warner Media into a disastrous $182 billion merger with the internet provider America Online, has died at the age of 84 Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2024-03-15 09:02:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #time warner


Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama dead at 68

Japanese manga comic creator Akira Toriyama, best known for his Dragon Ball series that spawned widely popular films, video games and TV shows, died on March 1 from a blood clot in his brain, his production studio said on Friday. He was 68. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2024-03-08 11:56:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #video games #tv shows #production studio #manga


No charges laid after man in 'state of crisis' tries to open door mid-flight on Air Canada plane: police

Police said the passenger attempted to open a door, which can't be done at cruising altitude. He was restrained by Air Canada employees during the flight as part of their safety protocols and met with officers once the plane landed at Pearson International Airport shortly after 3 p.m. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2024-01-21 22:50:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pearson