Tim O’Brien
"The things I care about have to do with people making choices and decisions in the context of what’s right and wrong in the world, the political environment around the characters."
Richard Conniff
"I like to think of this book as Life Styles of the Rich and Famous meets Chimpanzee Politics."
The wonders of the daily newspaper
As a grade school kid, one of the few things that I found enjoyable about my ordeal by public education was my introduction to wonders of the daily newspaper. This is a habit I have maintained until only recently—my lapse being another story entirely. The best part of my daily perambulation through this school lesson …
Mark Winegardner
"Serious readers—people who are really, really passionate about American fiction or fiction period—are disproportionately story readers. The people who are there for you for your story collections are your real readers."
Jill Bialosky
"I've always struggled with this idea of normalcy, of what is normal. Because I have never felt normal as a human being. So I tend to glamorize people who are more simplistic because I think their encounters in the world might be easier."
I missed the press announcement of the introduction of the phrase ‘urban legend’
I missed the press announcement of the introduction of the phrase "urban legend" into public blathering. I say this because I am made aware of references to such a thing (I was tempted to say concept but I will wait on that) and the examples that fall under that heading don’t seem to have a …
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Reading books is the most glorious pastime that humankind has yet devised
In preparation for vacating the Newbury Street space that has housed the estimable Avenue Victor Hugo Bookstore, Vince McCaffrey has placed his 150,000-plus-volume inventory on sale. Yesterday was the first day of that event, and though I expected that it would be a tad busy, I was not prepared for the crowded aisles and bargain-basement …
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We Tend to Ignore Writers Who Are Prolific
Maybe Mark Winegardner is right that we tend to ignore writers who are prolific (for some interesting reasons). Although Sam Shepard doesn’t exactly fall into that camp, I was wondering why I had put off reading the slender volume of stories, Great Dream of Heaven, that was residing on my bookshelf. Other than the fact …
Daniel Mason
"It's a nice idea that there are doctors and lawyers and investment bankers all walking around remembering 'The Odyssey.'"
Dorothy Allison
An interview with Dorothy Allison, author of the National Book Award finalist "Bastard Out of Carolina."