Have you read these? Me, neither. Looks like we've got a new list!
~Fischlipps
Friday, October 13, 2006
What I think is wrong...
...with many of the excellent younger writers these days is echoed by Luke O'Neil in this book review for The Weekly Dig.
There's no denying that these kids are learning to write beautifully in their grad programs at Iowa Writer's Workshop or, more locally, Emerson College. Problem is, they have nothing to say. Put it as prettily as you will, but when there's no experience to write about, it's all kind of vapid, in the end.
And no, it's not just "chick lit" that falls victim. McSweeney's, is a great idea, and stuffed to bursting with smart contributors, but after about 10 minutes, it's just too precious and self-congratulatory. I get to wondering what these writers could come up with if they really tried to do something original and thoughtful, rather than cleverly mimicking more seasoned authors.
~Fischlipps
There's no denying that these kids are learning to write beautifully in their grad programs at Iowa Writer's Workshop or, more locally, Emerson College. Problem is, they have nothing to say. Put it as prettily as you will, but when there's no experience to write about, it's all kind of vapid, in the end.
And no, it's not just "chick lit" that falls victim. McSweeney's, is a great idea, and stuffed to bursting with smart contributors, but after about 10 minutes, it's just too precious and self-congratulatory. I get to wondering what these writers could come up with if they really tried to do something original and thoughtful, rather than cleverly mimicking more seasoned authors.
~Fischlipps
Thursday, October 05, 2006
LitPac Reminder...
Do NOT miss the grand finale of the Litpac Boston Progressive Reading series on October 7. The evening will include readings by Sue Miller, Charlie Pierce, as well as a performance by singer/songwriter Merrie Amsterberg and a scene selection from Elizabeth Searle's "Tonya & Nancy: The Opera." Save by buying in advance:
http://www.thedise.tickets.musictoday.com/ParadiseLounge/calendar.aspx.
Coming up at Brookline Booksmith:
Wednesday October 11 6PM Coolidge Corner Theatre tickets $2
ANDY SUMMERS - One Train Later
Andy Summers was once a member of rock groups like The Animals and The Soft Machine. And while rock archivists tend to get off on such minutiae, the rest of the world knows him as the former guitarist of The Police. Selling 75 million records worldwide and nailing down five Grammys, they were known for their punk spirit and reggae inflected pop/rock hits. One Train Later is the famous guitar slinger’s rise-to-fame memoir, where the only thing to be expected, and happily we might add, are the infamous sex and drugs anecdotes.
Thursday October 12 7PM
JON KATZ - A Good Dog
“Owning and loving a dog is a very individual experience,” writes Jon Katz of his beloved border collie soulmate, Orson. A beautifully written requiem delivered in the only way the author of A Dog Year and The Dogs of Bedlam Farm could, A Good Dog is the moving tale of a relationship between a man and his remarkable companion.
Tuesday October 17 6PM Coolidge Corner Theatre SOLD OUT
ANNIE LEIBOVITZ - A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005
She has immortalized John wrapped around Yoko like a wilted weed and framed Demi as proud emblem for golden motherhood. She’s probably seen more celebrities naked and vulnerable than a gym class full of dirty-minded teens could ever imagine. She creates icons before lunchtime. She is Annie Leibovitz, the most well known living portrait photographer in the world. And she's stopping by the Coolidge to share with us the second installment chronicling her artistic life’s achievements.
TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT ARE SOLD OUT, BUT AS USUAL WE WILL HAVE A STANDBY LINE THE NIGHT OF THE EVENT, AND THE IN-STORE SIGNING AT 7PM IS OPEN TO EVERYONE.
I just finished a Lisa Carey fest and am sated and exhausted. Her writing is so emotionally effusive! If you've never read her, you might get the impression from that last statement that her style is flowery or over-written, but quite to the contrary, it's spare and brilliantly evocative.
Every Visible Thing is her latest novel, and I read that first. Those of who who live in and around Boston will get the added pleasure of familiarity with the settings of the book. Those who don't, will get a glimpse into some of the places you might not see as a tourist. But most everyone who reads it will probably be able to recall the difficulty of growing up. We throw around the term "dysfunctional family" so often, but really, whose family isn't warped in its own way? Dysfunction seems to be the way we function, don't you think? Lisa's examination of family dynamics in the setting of her book, can be translated to so many other situations that it can't help but make you think a bit about how you're handling your own life.
Next, I read the haunting, upsetting and beautiful Love in the Asylum. I'm not sure if I'm a cynical optimist, or a romantic cynic, but in either case, this tale of how we handle mental deviation from the norm--not well. not well at all--is as thought-provoking as it is horrifying. I loved this book, ached for its characters and am still kind of lost in a reverie about how we as a society interpret sanity. It freaks me out a little. How 'bout you?
More soon, but first you should have a look at a couple of good book sites: librarything.com and http://bookslut.com. Get busy!
~Fischlipps
http://www.thedise.tickets.musictoday.com/ParadiseLounge/calendar.aspx.
Coming up at Brookline Booksmith:
Wednesday October 11 6PM Coolidge Corner Theatre tickets $2ANDY SUMMERS - One Train Later
Andy Summers was once a member of rock groups like The Animals and The Soft Machine. And while rock archivists tend to get off on such minutiae, the rest of the world knows him as the former guitarist of The Police. Selling 75 million records worldwide and nailing down five Grammys, they were known for their punk spirit and reggae inflected pop/rock hits. One Train Later is the famous guitar slinger’s rise-to-fame memoir, where the only thing to be expected, and happily we might add, are the infamous sex and drugs anecdotes.
Thursday October 12 7PMJON KATZ - A Good Dog
“Owning and loving a dog is a very individual experience,” writes Jon Katz of his beloved border collie soulmate, Orson. A beautifully written requiem delivered in the only way the author of A Dog Year and The Dogs of Bedlam Farm could, A Good Dog is the moving tale of a relationship between a man and his remarkable companion.
Tuesday October 17 6PM Coolidge Corner Theatre SOLD OUT ANNIE LEIBOVITZ - A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005
She has immortalized John wrapped around Yoko like a wilted weed and framed Demi as proud emblem for golden motherhood. She’s probably seen more celebrities naked and vulnerable than a gym class full of dirty-minded teens could ever imagine. She creates icons before lunchtime. She is Annie Leibovitz, the most well known living portrait photographer in the world. And she's stopping by the Coolidge to share with us the second installment chronicling her artistic life’s achievements.
TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT ARE SOLD OUT, BUT AS USUAL WE WILL HAVE A STANDBY LINE THE NIGHT OF THE EVENT, AND THE IN-STORE SIGNING AT 7PM IS OPEN TO EVERYONE.
I just finished a Lisa Carey fest and am sated and exhausted. Her writing is so emotionally effusive! If you've never read her, you might get the impression from that last statement that her style is flowery or over-written, but quite to the contrary, it's spare and brilliantly evocative.
Every Visible Thing is her latest novel, and I read that first. Those of who who live in and around Boston will get the added pleasure of familiarity with the settings of the book. Those who don't, will get a glimpse into some of the places you might not see as a tourist. But most everyone who reads it will probably be able to recall the difficulty of growing up. We throw around the term "dysfunctional family" so often, but really, whose family isn't warped in its own way? Dysfunction seems to be the way we function, don't you think? Lisa's examination of family dynamics in the setting of her book, can be translated to so many other situations that it can't help but make you think a bit about how you're handling your own life.
Next, I read the haunting, upsetting and beautiful Love in the Asylum. I'm not sure if I'm a cynical optimist, or a romantic cynic, but in either case, this tale of how we handle mental deviation from the norm--not well. not well at all--is as thought-provoking as it is horrifying. I loved this book, ached for its characters and am still kind of lost in a reverie about how we as a society interpret sanity. It freaks me out a little. How 'bout you?
More soon, but first you should have a look at a couple of good book sites: librarything.com and http://bookslut.com. Get busy!
~Fischlipps
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