I have never really enjoyed poetry. I think I’m too lazy. I’ve always had to exert too much effort in trying to figure out what the poet is saying.
But I read this yesterday. And I went back and read it again. Today I went back and read it again. So I thought I would share the gem that she had found.
Looks like the national “can your book section” trend has spread south of the Mason Dixon with the Atlanta Constitution “realigning” their books page and editing out the newspaper’s books editor.
It won’t be long until everyone is just running wire copy from New York. Can you imagine? Thousands of newspapers all covering the same 6 books every day. How sad.
Here’s a link to a Georgia bookstore trying to do something about it.
And the fade theorist has a post about a group of self appointing “prose pros” getting on board with letters and petitions. While I do agree with the theorist that the NBCC needs to wake up and participate in the world of new media (to quote her “Traditional print media, by comparison, is flat”), I do have to say that I would miss having the “professional” reviews in my newspapers. As much weight as I give my friends’ recommendations and suggestions, I’ve always been glad that there is a “filter” out there. Someone with enough skill and experience separate the junk from what might actually be worthy. And that, I think would be worth fighting for.
Here’s a short article brimming with links to book related podasts! Most are attached to “serious” book reviewers at newspapers. But others are produced by book publishers and books fans. And all contain good interviews with authors. It’s interesting to hear an author’s voice as they talk about there work. Not one of them has sounded like the voices inside my head as I read their stories.
Now I just need to start riding the bus so I have time to listen.
(via Books, Inq.)
I’m a member of the Deep South group on LibraryThing. Since I’m not exactly a native southerner (though I claim to southern every chance I get) I thought it’d be a fun way to get to know some of the southern writiers. So far this group hasn’t disappointed. It’s an odd mesh of people who love to read. And so far no one has nominated any of the heavy hitters (Faulkner, etc.) just good honest southern lit.
If you’re interested, join us! Right now, the group is reading Ecology of a Cracker Childhood. It’s pretty good so far. I can see why it was nominated. If you’ve spent any time driving around the southern US then you’ll be able to picture the settings of this book.
