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  • WRITING

    Aug 12, 2008, 01:03PM

    Sexing Up Mohammed

    A new book has been pulled from publication by Random House because it could be potentially offensive to Muslims. The Jewell of Medina is a fictional account written by journalist Sherry Jones about A'isha bint Abi Bakr, the wife of the prophet Mohammed, and according to one Muslim history professor is equivalent to soft-core pornography. Citing fears of inciting violence, Random House cancelled the scheduled release, as if one book would really affect the underlying fundamentals of terrorism.

  • WRITING

    Aug 11, 2008, 10:03AM

    Orwell's Herbaceous Border

    George Orwell's famous for teaching us that animals don't understand the principles of socialism and that we shouldn't trust Big Brother. But in between writing prescient, cutting books on government he had time for the prosaic moments in life. We can now read up on his epic battles with garden snakes, thanks to his diary entries. The Orwell Prize is publishing one a day, and they just started last week.

  • WRITING

    Aug 04, 2008, 02:47PM

    Talking To Michael Martone

    Michael Martone has written books about Michael Martone's contributor notes and fake places to visit in Indiana. Here he sits down to talk about the deconstruction of authorship, blog writing, and why he only cares about the microscopic differences between fiction and non-fiction.

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  • WRITING

    Jul 14, 2008, 04:03PM

    Remembering Thomas M. Disch

    Revered sci-fi writer Thomas Disch committed suicide recently, and the appreciations have been slowly burbling out since, primarily from the non-mainstream media. Here's one that remembers the writer whose greates legacy may be creating The Brave Little Toaster, although he was a prodigious genre writer in addition.

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  • WRITING

    Jul 14, 2008, 11:23AM

    This American Rejection

    A writer for decomP, an online literary magazine, tells the heartbreaking tale of meeting This American Life host Ira Glass and having his lifelong dreams of writing for the show dashed once and for all. Looks like the "charming" NPR host is kind of a know-it-all.

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  • WRITING

    Jul 03, 2008, 01:31PM

    Death Of A Local Sportswriter

    What was once regarded as the pinnacle of sports journalism-the local paper columinist-has become an endagered species. Pressured by declining paper sales on one end and nationally-oriented online publications on the other, local experts are running out of time.

  • WRITING

    Jul 01, 2008, 10:38AM

    A Man Who Enjoys His Books

    The business of trolling for used books is usually pretty dry, dusty even. But every once in awhile the persistent searcher encounters the surprising and unexpected. Here is one such tale, and it's NSFW after the link.

  • WRITING

    Jun 25, 2008, 03:13PM

    Publisher Opts Out Of Times Book Review

    One publishing company, repeatedly successful commercially, is tired of sending the New York Times Book Review free copies of books that are never deemed fit for review. The reason? Because the books are conservative, and according to the publisher those will never be taken seriously.

  • WRITING

    Jun 23, 2008, 03:46PM

    A Prizewinner That Deserved It

    The Complete Review, a literature website that focuses mainly on fiction in translation, reviews Catherine O'Flynn's What Was Lost. O'Flynn's novel won the prestigious Costa First Book Award in the UK (formerly the Whitbread First Book Award), and it looks like she earned it.

  • WRITING

    Jun 06, 2008, 01:16PM

    Pushing The Envelope

    This indie "degenerate literature" magazine holds nothing back. With read-times, gory cover art, and stories that will make your stomach turn, Out of the Gutter Magazine is one of those publications you may want to hide under your bed. 

  • WRITING

    Jun 04, 2008, 10:54AM

    Disappointing Nazi Literature

    Roberto Bolaño was considered one of contemporary Latin America's greatest writers upon his death in 2003. Since then, most of his work has been translated into English, including The Savage Detectives last year and the forthcoming 2666, due in November. One of his shorter novels, Nazi Literature in the Americas, was also recently translated, and this reviewer found it a little unsatisfying. Whatever the verdict, however, here's to more attention for literature in translation.

  • WRITING

    Jun 02, 2008, 10:39AM

    Experimental Authors Must Be Appreciated For Their Failures

    Flying to America, the third and final collection of Donald Barthelme's short fiction, was published last October. In this essay, a reader celebrates the writer's genius and innovation while exploring the problems with how Barthelme's legacy has been protected.

  • WRITING

    May 29, 2008, 11:12AM

    Suggested Summer Reading

    Whether you're home from school or off on vacation, summers tend to be a more conducive season for leisurely reading than others. If you're looking for ideas, here's a place to start.

  • WRITING

    May 27, 2008, 09:59AM

    George Saunders Dispenses Literary Wisdom

    Acclaimed writer George Saunders, best known for his hilariously satirical short stories, recently spoke with young writers about figuring out that thinking about fiction is miles away from writing it. His other major piece of advice is to avoid Ayn Rand at all costs.

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