Articles by Emre Peker
February 29, 2008
Up on the Roof: A Review of Nick Hornby’s A Long Way Down 1
Suicide is a funny thing. At least, it is in Nick Hornby’s A Long Way Down. Unlike his earlier pop-culture riffs, High Fidelity and About A Boy, Hornby’s glance into the lives of four suicidal characters takes a broader look at life, transcending issues such as relationships and maturity in an attempt to portray a [...]
January 20, 2008
Forget the Rules of Writing 4
Aspiring writers might want to consider moving to Japan and focusing on thumbing text messages instead of developing intricate story lines or characters. At least, that is what this front page story from the Sunday New York Times seems to be saying. In 2007, five of the top 10 best-selling novels in Japan were written [...]
November 20, 2007
The Millions Interview: Kevin Sites 0
Kevin Sites, author of In the Hot Zone, shed some light to his experiences in an interview with The Millions last week. An edited text of the transcript appears below, please see yesterday’s post for more on In the Hot Zone. The Millions: Did you always have the idea of a book when you embarked [...]
November 19, 2007
Going Solo: A Review of In The Hot Zone by Kevin Sites 1
There are about 30 ongoing conflicts in the world. Contrary to conventional wisdom and blissful ignorance, the big wars since World War II have not been limited to Vietnam, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, or the current wars endearingly known as Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom – i.e., the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. [...]
October 26, 2007
Everybody’s President 1
Wednesday night I went to the Barnes and Noble at Union Square to catch a speech by a jack of all trades. The former Daily Show correspondent turned anchor is now everywhere promoting a book – and running for president. Yes, you guessed right, the almighty Mr. Stephen Colbert. Unfortunately for me, Mr. Colbert was [...]
October 21, 2007
Now You Know: The Mysteries of NYT’s Best-Seller List (or Not) 1
It is a ubiquitous feature in bookstores – especially at airports: The New York Times Best Seller List. The words “From The New York Times Best-Selling Author” flash at a reader from the top of a book cover, capturing interst and, well, dollars. The Times’ Public Editor Clark Hoyt explains the selection process, why the [...]
