This weekend we plan to grab lunch at Perry’s, a burger joint here on Vashon Island. Next we’ll hike circles around Jensen Point and then finish reading the collected stories of Frank O’Connor. All of which pretty much guarantees us a downright rosy couple of days. But wait! Before we slip into our freewheeling attire, there’s still a bit of work-week business to manage. Namely, rounding up the stories, poems, interviews and literature news that made this first week in December such a unique drip on time’s silky canvas. Hey, it’ll never, ever, EVER be this exact moment in history again! Crazy, right? Good thing we have archives, so all you Doctor Emmitt Browns can travel back in time and catch up on what you missed. Here’s to flexing your capacitor.
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Tagged as:
Literature in the Media,
New Literature Online,
Weekly Roundup
Hughes The Environmentalist
Charleston, SC, is a splendid little city — we lived there for five years — but as far as the seasons are concerned, it lacks drama. Since we’ve been here in Seattle we’ve experienced 100 degree heat, steady rain, and today, the winter’s first hard frost. Such meteorological diversity makes us grin. If Ted Hughes were alive he’d certainly approve. After all, he chronicled the ebb and flow of the seasons in many of his poems. Everyone knows the seasons influence the way we think, see and smell, which might explain our present desire to breathe deeply the musty aromas of an antiquated book. The LA Times eases our urge. Speaking of old books, Poe’s first published title — Tamerlane and Other Poems — is expected to fetch six figures when Christie’s brings it to auction. Elsewhere, earning money is something Murakami is used to. But one writer for the Guardian feels the author’s value is shrinking. Instead of writing novels, Murakami might consider writing pornographic screenplays. Slate explores this rousing industry. Or maybe such writing is better suited for Roger Avary, the jailed co-writer of Pulp Fiction. Quick, get Uma on the phone! In other news, it’s the end of the year, which begins the season of quantifying the merit of many, many books. Hop over to The Millions for a complete summary. Us, we’re looking forward to spring. — Kevin Murphy
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Tagged as:
Friday's Literary Grab Bag,
Literature in the Media,
New Literature Online
