Category: literary life
The Associated Press has just run a piece about the LBC‘s plans for its Read This! selection.
While he won’t reveal the inaugural nominees (there are five) until after May 15, he said that they include a novel in translation, experimental fiction and a graphic novel. Two of the books are from major publishing houses and three are from “pretty small houses,” including Brooklyn-based Soft Skull Press.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” Soft Skull publisher Richard Nash wrote in an e-mail. “The Lit Blogs are now doing what e-mail and the Web couldn’t pull off: connect writers to readers more smoothly.”
Should the Soft Skull book be selected, he added, “we’ll go to town promoting it” and the literary blogging community.
Another nominee is published by Pantheon Books, a division of Random House. Senior publicist Michiko Clark said that, while Pantheon is very excited to be among the picks, the house is taking a wait and see attitude.
Only another four weeks to go before the announcement. Should be fun.
The savvy Susannah Breslin takes a fresh approach to the sale of her book, Porn Happy.
Lately, I’ve been on the hunt for a literary agent for Porn Happy. I like to think of it as akin to a goldfish swimming amidst the sharks. Although, it’s only a game, after all. When I was a freelance writer and TV pundit in Los Angeles, I never had an agent. It seemed like one too many pieces of luggage; I already had so much baggage. I don’t like doing things how they’re supposed to be done.
Read the rest here.
I received notice that the new Loggernaut Reading Series will launch today, Thursday April 14th at 7:30 pm at Gravy (3957 N. Mississippi). Charles D’Ambrosio, Alicia Cohen, and Chelsey Johnson will be reading fiction and poetry that responds, in some way to the word “Cruelty.” (Should be interesting!) Cocktails and other beverages will be available for swilling at the bar. Admission is $2.
Austrian cartoonist Gerhard Haderer, who earlier this earlier was convicted of blasphemy in Greece for a comic book that portrays Jesus as a pot-smoking hippie, and who was given a 6-month suspended prison sentence for “maliciously insulting the Orthodox Church” has had his conviction overturned on appeal.
“He has been cleared and the book is no longer banned,” Haderer’s lawyer, Maria Marazioti, said. “We all agreed it’s not something that special to have the book published in the Greek market, and that the artist had no intention to insult Christianity. Everyone understood that, even the priests.”
The three-member court was unanimous in its ruling.
That’s a relief.
This time, from Inside Higher Ed. Scott McLemee talks to Dan Green about the LBC‘s goals.
I received notice about this event in NYC, and though I can’t attend (obvs.) I’d love to hear from those who do:
Celebrate Immigrant History Week with three talented writers:
- Susan Choi (American Woman)
- Azadeh Moaveni (Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America and American in Iran)
- Akhil Sharma (An Obedient Father)
April 12 at 7:30 p.m. International Center, 50 West 23rd St., 7th floor, between 6th Ave. and 5th Ave., New York, N.Y. tel: (212)255-9555. Subway: F to 23rd St.
The event is free to the public.