On Poetry and Social Media, Writing Through Grief, and More
New York Times hires new book critic; Salman Rushdie’s reading habits; the National Book Award in fiction longlist is announced; and other news.
Tanwi Nandini Islam
"I like to play little games with myself to keep the process playful, fluid, and fun." Tanwi Nandini Islam talks about writing rituals and the personal items that influenced her debut novel, Bright Lines (Penguin Books, 2015).
Street Name
This week, look to the name of your street for inspiration. Or if you prefer, choose the name of a previous street you lived on, or a particularly fascinating street name in your city or town. Is the street designated for a famous person, a defining local feature, or a natural landmark? Are there Dutch, Spanish, or Native American roots to the name? Write an essay about the street’s origin, and how the name might be fitting or outdated. Reflect on the ways you connect with where you live, and how your own history intertwines with the streets names that surround you.
Saul Bellow and the Academy, Joyce Carol Oates on her Childhood, and More
A history of writing in cafés; National Book Award in nonfiction longlist announced; U.S. author earnings fall below poverty level; and other news.
Riding the Highline
"The Lord gives us trains and we waste those distances / transporting coal," writes Anders Carlson-Wee in his poem "Riding the Owl's Eye." This short film about a train-hopping journey he took with his brother and fellow poet Kai Carlson-Wee will be featured at the 2015 Napa Valley Film Festival in November.
Future Species
Last week, scientists announced the discovery of a new species in the early human lineage: Homo naledi. Write a short story that takes discovery into the future by imagining a character who is of a new human species from the next millennium. What useful adaptations or physical differences might she have developed in order to survive an advanced environment? Would the progression of technology alter the need for long fingers or certain emotions?
Windows and Doors: A Poet Reads Literary Theory
"I wrote the book I wished I had had in my poetry writing classes," Natasha Sajé writes in the preface. Her nine essays serve as an insightful guide to reading and writing poetry in a way that takes into consideration critical theory, as well as the politics and ideology of poetic language. The included works of contemporary poets provide examples for inspiring writing prompts for poets at all levels.
On Famous Last Words, #ActualAsianPoets, and More
Jonathan Franzen among new contributors to Chipotle’s “Cultivating Thought” series; Man Booker shortlist announced; an interview with poet laureate Juan Felipe Herrera; and other news.
Booker Prize Shortlist Announced
The Man Booker Foundation has announced the shortlist for the 2015 Man Booker Prize for Fiction, which this year includes two American writers—Anne Tyler and Hanya Yanagihara—as well as debut novelist Chigozie Obioma. The annual award is given for a book of fiction written in English and published in the United Kingdom during the previous year. The winner receives £50,000 (approximately $77,000), and will be announced in London on October 13.
The six shortlisted authors are Marlon James of Jamaica for A Brief History of Seven Killings (Riverhead Books); Tom McCarthy of the United Kingdom for Satin Island (Knopf); Chigozie Obioma of Nigeria for The Fisherman (Little, Brown); Sunjeev Sahota of the United Kingdom for The Year of the Runaways (Knopf); Anne Tyler of the United States for A Spool of Blue Thread (Knopf); and Hanya Yanagihara of the United States for A Little Life (Doubleday). The shortlisted authors will each receive £2,500 (approximately $3,800).
The five finalists were selected from a longlist of thirteen authors; Ellah Wakatama Allfrey, John Burnside, Sam Leith, Frances Osborne, and Michael Wood judged. “The writers on the shortlist present an extraordinary range of approaches to fiction,” said Wood, who is the chair of judges. “They come from very different cultures and are themselves at very different stages of their careers.”
First awarded in 1969, the Man Booker Prize is one of the literary world’s most prestigious awards for fiction. The prize, which was previously given to writers from the United Kingdom, Ireland, or Zimbabwe, was expanded last year to include writers of any nationality writing in English. Australian writer Richard Flanagan won the 2014 prize for The Narrow Road to the Deep North.
Clockwise from top left: Marlon James (Cameron Wittig), Tom McCarthy (Ulf Andersen), Chigozie Obioma, Hanya Yanagihara (Sophia Evans), Anne Tyler (Clara Molden), Sunjeev Sahota (Murdo MacLeod)
Fake Fruit Factory
Patrick Wensink's new novel, Fake Fruit Factory, which was released today by Curbside Splendor, follows a cast of characters in an eccentric small town in Ohio.
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