Essays
November 23, 2011
The Genre Games 45
by Kim Wright
I developed my own little highly-nonscientific experiment: I went to the local library and checked out three books in each of seven genres and devoted an entire weekend to looking for tropes or devices that separated one genre from another. I had some really weird dreams that weekend.
November 22, 2011
Beyond Holokitsch: Spiegelman Goes Meta 1
by Michael Bourne
Art Spiegelman’s Maus is that rare work of literature that speaks to everyone while pandering to no one. MetaMaus is a record of how Spiegelman pulled off this magic trick.
November 14, 2011
Reading 1Q84: The Case for Fiction in a Busy Life 27
by Kevin Hartnett
I stopped questioning the purpose of fiction and instead began to see reading 1Q84 as one of the few necessary things I did all day. The reasons for the change of heart had to do with wonder, with love, and with the way literature provides for the best parts of who we are.
November 11, 2011
The Pleasures and Perils of Rereading 27
by Lisa Levy
Whether we go back again and again to a classic or pick up an old favorite to see how it has fared or dig deep into the treasures of our youth, rereading is an experiment that is bound to change us, and to change our impressions of the books we read.
November 10, 2011
Three Readings, A Bag of Ritz Sandwich Crackers, and Some Serious QT with my Number One Fan 1
by Michael David Lukas
Now, I don’t normally do this sort of thing. But my publisher wasn’t planning much for the paperback tour, so I figured why not? Isn’t that what publishing is all about these days — doing-it-yourself, sleeping on couches, Facebooking and tweeting your little heart out?
November 9, 2011
De-Romanticizing Rome 5
by Amber Ruth Paulen
Judging by the bookshelves, Rome has been condensed into a mere repetition of themes: what tasty food, passionate people, beautiful art, ancient ruins, and history! Is that all there is to Rome?
