My favorite headline of the week:
"Buddha feel better when youth throng bookshops and not malls"
So, was this an insight gained through deep meditation? Not really. Judging from the article to which the headline was attached, the "Buddha" referred to is actually Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal in India, and the occasion for his remarks was the opening of the 33rd Kolkata Book Fair. "I'm not against shopping malls," he clarified, "but I feel good when I find young men and women thronging bookshops." Evidently the Kolkata Book Fair must be a fairly prominent event -- this was the 33rd edition -- because one of those present for its opening was Alexander McCall Smith, author of the "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series.
For more about how to make Buddha feel better, you can consult this article from the Press Trust of India. And if you meet Buddha on the road, tell him we have a pretty good section of Buddhism titles at Accent on Books.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
John Updike, 1932-2009
"Runs. Ah, runs."
For some reason, the final words of Rabbit, Run have stayed with me all these years, decades after I first read the book in high school. Maybe the idea of a man desperately trying to escape what he saw as his dead-end life held a strong appeal for my teenage self. For whatever reason, it was my introduction to a writer whose uncanny way with words has repeatedly astonished me over the decades, especially considering the volume of his output.
Updike, who died Tuesday, was probably most closely identified with the four "Rabbit novels," and similar books portraying the disquiet and frustration simmering below the pavement of the suburbs. Yet, in the middle and later part of his career he also wrote novels laid in Africa, South America, the historical past, and, in one case, the future. And, of course, in addition to his novels, his more than sixty published volumes include short stories, poetry, essays, and literary and art criticism.
Considering Updike's longtime close association with The New Yorker, it isn't surprising that that magazine's website has an extensive tribute to him at the moment with remembrances from, among others, Joyce Carol Oates, E. L. Doctorow, Richard Ford, Paul Theroux, and Julian Barnes. There is also a list of more than 800 pieces Updike wrote for the magazine, many of them freely available online.
Elsewhere, there was this tribute from Philip Roth, one of Updike's few contemporaries who rival his literary eminence: "John Updike is our time's greatest man of letters, as brilliant a literary critic and essayist as he was a novelist and short story writer. He is and always will be no less a national treasure than his 19th-century precursor, Nathaniel Hawthorne."
For some reason, the final words of Rabbit, Run have stayed with me all these years, decades after I first read the book in high school. Maybe the idea of a man desperately trying to escape what he saw as his dead-end life held a strong appeal for my teenage self. For whatever reason, it was my introduction to a writer whose uncanny way with words has repeatedly astonished me over the decades, especially considering the volume of his output.
Updike, who died Tuesday, was probably most closely identified with the four "Rabbit novels," and similar books portraying the disquiet and frustration simmering below the pavement of the suburbs. Yet, in the middle and later part of his career he also wrote novels laid in Africa, South America, the historical past, and, in one case, the future. And, of course, in addition to his novels, his more than sixty published volumes include short stories, poetry, essays, and literary and art criticism.
Considering Updike's longtime close association with The New Yorker, it isn't surprising that that magazine's website has an extensive tribute to him at the moment with remembrances from, among others, Joyce Carol Oates, E. L. Doctorow, Richard Ford, Paul Theroux, and Julian Barnes. There is also a list of more than 800 pieces Updike wrote for the magazine, many of them freely available online.
Elsewhere, there was this tribute from Philip Roth, one of Updike's few contemporaries who rival his literary eminence: "John Updike is our time's greatest man of letters, as brilliant a literary critic and essayist as he was a novelist and short story writer. He is and always will be no less a national treasure than his 19th-century precursor, Nathaniel Hawthorne."
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Newberys, Caldecotts, and a Whole Lot More
It may not have the cachet of the Oscars or the Golden Globes, but for children's books authors and illustrators one of the most eagerly awaited events of the year is the midwinter meeting of the American Library Association, when announcements are made of the winners and finalists for a number of awards.
The best known of these are the Newbery Medal, which goes to the author of "the most distinguished contribution to children's literature," and the Caldecott Medal, which goes to the illustrator of "the most distinguished American picture book for children." (There are "honor books" -- or runners-up -- for each award.) This year's Newbery Medal went to Neal Gaiman for his novel, The Graveyard Book. Gaiman, a well-known writer of fantasy and graphic novels for adults, showed he could write for children as well with his imaginative novel of a young boy raised by ghosts. The Caldecott Medal went to Beth Krommes, the illustrator of The House in the Night, a dreamlike book with a poetic text by Susan Marie Swanson.
There are a number of other awards bestowed as well, with some books winning multiple honors. One of those multiple winners was a particular favorite of mine: We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. This beautifully written and magnificently illustrated book won the Coretta Scott King author award, was a runner-up for the Coretta Scott King illustrator award, and was the winner of the Robert F. Sibert medal. The King awards are given to outstanding African American authors and illustrators, and the Sibert medal is for the most distinguished "informational book" for children.
A complete list of the various award winners can be found at the ALA's website.
The best known of these are the Newbery Medal, which goes to the author of "the most distinguished contribution to children's literature," and the Caldecott Medal, which goes to the illustrator of "the most distinguished American picture book for children." (There are "honor books" -- or runners-up -- for each award.) This year's Newbery Medal went to Neal Gaiman for his novel, The Graveyard Book. Gaiman, a well-known writer of fantasy and graphic novels for adults, showed he could write for children as well with his imaginative novel of a young boy raised by ghosts. The Caldecott Medal went to Beth Krommes, the illustrator of The House in the Night, a dreamlike book with a poetic text by Susan Marie Swanson.
There are a number of other awards bestowed as well, with some books winning multiple honors. One of those multiple winners was a particular favorite of mine: We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. This beautifully written and magnificently illustrated book won the Coretta Scott King author award, was a runner-up for the Coretta Scott King illustrator award, and was the winner of the Robert F. Sibert medal. The King awards are given to outstanding African American authors and illustrators, and the Sibert medal is for the most distinguished "informational book" for children.
A complete list of the various award winners can be found at the ALA's website.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Of Charlton Heston and Chicken Pox
Speaking of the power of reading fiction (see previous entry), Ann Patchett believes in it. This is hardly surprising since she's a novelist herself. (Her acclaimed works include Bel Canto, The Patron Saint of Liars, and Run, all available at Accent on Books.) She is also a member of the board of the Nashville Public Library and, according to a piece she recently wrote for the Wall Street Journal, she's seen first hand the increasing interest in reading in general and fiction in particular. "We are a hardy bunch, we readers," she says. "The rumor is we'll play around with a Kindle or an I-Book for awhile but eventually give up on the whole endeavor, the logic being who would want to read a book when there are so many enticing video games to play and Web sites to surf. But I'm more of the Charlton Heston school: you'll get my paperback of One Hundred Years of Solitude away from me when you pry it out of my cold, dead hands."
As for the generation now coming to adulthood, yes, they are the generation of the iPod and the smart phone, but they are also the generation of the midnight Harry Potter parties -- a hopeful sign since, Patchett says, "Like the chicken pox, getting infected by the desire to read is best when it hits us early."
Ann Patchett's article can be found here.
As for the generation now coming to adulthood, yes, they are the generation of the iPod and the smart phone, but they are also the generation of the midnight Harry Potter parties -- a hopeful sign since, Patchett says, "Like the chicken pox, getting infected by the desire to read is best when it hits us early."
Ann Patchett's article can be found here.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The First Reader
Now that he's got a new job, Barack Obama might find his reading time somewhat curtailed. ("Hey, Cabinet Secretaries, talk amongst yourselves -- I'm finishing the new Toni Morrison.") While this may be necessary for the country it may be frustrating for Obama, and a loss for the publishing industry, which has repeatedly picked up -- and jumped on -- hints regarding what he may be reading (an example being an entry on this blog last May).
Obama is obviously not the first President who's a reader, and, indeed, comparisons between him and his immediate predecessor on this count may be somewhat overstated. Yet, as Michiko Kakutani recently pointed out in a New York Times article, there may be a difference between the type of reading Obama and George W. Bush are attracted to, and its purpose. At least as President, Bush seemed to gravitate towards what Kakutani terms "prescriptive" reading: books pushing a particular policy or philosophy towards which Bush was already gravitating. Obama, with his more literary bent, seems drawn toward philosophy, as well as fiction, literature and drama, which has the purpose of teaching more how to think than what to think. This type of reading both reinforces, and is reinforced by, Obama's own experiences as a writer.
How this will affect his Presidency remains to be seen, of course, and would probably be impossible to measure anyway. Yet Obama's reading background seems, to me, at least to be encouraging. Acquiring information is one thing. Knowing how to evaluate it, and what to do with it, is quite another.
Obama is obviously not the first President who's a reader, and, indeed, comparisons between him and his immediate predecessor on this count may be somewhat overstated. Yet, as Michiko Kakutani recently pointed out in a New York Times article, there may be a difference between the type of reading Obama and George W. Bush are attracted to, and its purpose. At least as President, Bush seemed to gravitate towards what Kakutani terms "prescriptive" reading: books pushing a particular policy or philosophy towards which Bush was already gravitating. Obama, with his more literary bent, seems drawn toward philosophy, as well as fiction, literature and drama, which has the purpose of teaching more how to think than what to think. This type of reading both reinforces, and is reinforced by, Obama's own experiences as a writer.
How this will affect his Presidency remains to be seen, of course, and would probably be impossible to measure anyway. Yet Obama's reading background seems, to me, at least to be encouraging. Acquiring information is one thing. Knowing how to evaluate it, and what to do with it, is quite another.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Inaugural Poet
Robert Frost. Maya Angelou. Miller Williams. Elizabeth Alexander joined that list when she became the fourth poet chosen to write a poem for a presidential inauguration and read it at the event. She was selected in December to participate in President-elect Obama's inauguration this coming Tuesday.
This will not be Alexander's first connection with politics. Her father, Clifford Alexander, served as Secretary of the Army and Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Her brother Mark has been an important advisor to the President-elect. However, this is not simply a case of political patronage, as Alexander is an esteemed poet whose choice for this honor has been widely praised. Her five collections of poetry include a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and she has won numerous awards and fellowships. She is currently a professor of African-American Studies at Yale University.
Upon learning of her selection, Alexander released a statement which read, in part, "...I understand that as a country we stand poised to make tremendous choices about our collective future. The distillation of language in poetry, its precision, can help us see sharply in the midst of may conundrums....Poetry is not meant to cheer; rather, poetry challenges, and moves us towards transformation. Language distilled and artfully arranged shifts our experience of the words -- and the worldviews -- we live in."
More about Elizabeth Alexander can be found at her website. Her inaugural poem is scheduled to be released in book form in early February, and will be available at Accent on Books.
This will not be Alexander's first connection with politics. Her father, Clifford Alexander, served as Secretary of the Army and Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Her brother Mark has been an important advisor to the President-elect. However, this is not simply a case of political patronage, as Alexander is an esteemed poet whose choice for this honor has been widely praised. Her five collections of poetry include a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and she has won numerous awards and fellowships. She is currently a professor of African-American Studies at Yale University.
Upon learning of her selection, Alexander released a statement which read, in part, "...I understand that as a country we stand poised to make tremendous choices about our collective future. The distillation of language in poetry, its precision, can help us see sharply in the midst of may conundrums....Poetry is not meant to cheer; rather, poetry challenges, and moves us towards transformation. Language distilled and artfully arranged shifts our experience of the words -- and the worldviews -- we live in."
More about Elizabeth Alexander can be found at her website. Her inaugural poem is scheduled to be released in book form in early February, and will be available at Accent on Books.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
John Mortimer, 1923-2009
John Clifford Mortimer always wanted to be a writer and an actor. But his barrister father strongly discouraged it, telling him, "My dear boy, have some consideration for your unfortunate wife...[the law] gets you out of the house." So Mortimer became a lawyer instead, in 1948.
That hardly stopped his writing career, however. For the next 35 years Mortimer managed to follow both paths, practicing law and writing for the stage, screen, and television, as well as novels. (He retired from his law practice in 1984.)
Though his works were varied and numerous he is best known in this country for creating the barrister Horace Rumpole, immortalized on television by Leo McKern. Rumpole began life as the lead character in a single television play, which was later expanded into a television series, as well as a number of novels. The most recent novel, Rumpole Misbehaves, came out in paperback this past November and is available at Accent on Books.
John Mortimer died earlier this week after a long illness. He was 85. A BBC obituary can be found here.
Said Mortimer's longtime friend and neighbor, the writer Melvyn Bragg, "There was a whiff of erudition and scandal always around John and it was completely seductive and he'll be badly, badly missed."
That hardly stopped his writing career, however. For the next 35 years Mortimer managed to follow both paths, practicing law and writing for the stage, screen, and television, as well as novels. (He retired from his law practice in 1984.)
Though his works were varied and numerous he is best known in this country for creating the barrister Horace Rumpole, immortalized on television by Leo McKern. Rumpole began life as the lead character in a single television play, which was later expanded into a television series, as well as a number of novels. The most recent novel, Rumpole Misbehaves, came out in paperback this past November and is available at Accent on Books.
John Mortimer died earlier this week after a long illness. He was 85. A BBC obituary can be found here.
Said Mortimer's longtime friend and neighbor, the writer Melvyn Bragg, "There was a whiff of erudition and scandal always around John and it was completely seductive and he'll be badly, badly missed."
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