- John Updike is interviewed about golf. (Thanks, DT!)
- I haven’t listened to it yet, but StarShipSofa looks like an interesting new podcast. It’s largely about Philip K. Dick right now, but promises to discuss Alfred Bester and Alien. (via Locus)
- Frank Wilson responds to the experimental fiction controversy, noting that he doesn’t find Ulysses to be experimental. I think Frank has a point. I had an opportunity to put forth this question to Danielewski himself last week and he explicitly told me that he didn’t consider himself an experimental writer. Could the “experimental” label be something as needlessly debilitating as a genre label?
- Amardeep Singh is looking for examples of Hinduism in fiction. Do help him out if you can.
- Why marvel about the Slash-and-Duffless Guns N’ Roses tour when the Wigtown Book Festival is selling its tickets just as swiftly?
- RIP Etta Baker.
- Sam Raimi has optioned Arch Enemies. (via Heidi McDonald)
- I haven’t commented upon the Hugo Chavez-Noam Chomsky thing, but I hope to later.
- Louis Menand on Thirteen Moons.
- Scrivener’s Error responds to Cory Doctorow’s latest copyright missive.
- Yo, John Marshall, calm down, buddy. Take a cold shower. It was only an interview. But if you need me to set you up with someone Nora-like, let me know.
- Momus on Bowie’s Extras appearance. (via Splinters)
- Why did Diane Setterfield become a success? Was it online buzz? Sarah offers some thoughts.
- Lily Brett — an author respectively funny about the Holocaust?
- Eric Weinberger on Hemingway’s use of the Alps.
Month / September 2006
Other NIE Conclusions: The White House is Located at 1600 Penn
Washington Post: “The conclusion of U.S. intelligence analysts that the Iraq war has increased the threat from terrorism is only ‘a fraction of judgments’ in a newly disclosed National Intelligence Estimate, Director of National Intelligence John D. Negroponte said yesterday.”
Y’think?
BSS #67: Pamela Ribon
Author: Pamela Ribon
Condition of Mr. Segundo: Ruminating upon a misinterpreted act of politeness.
Subjects Discussed: The Weird books as a franchise, chick lit, unusual stabbings, Oryx & Crake, Downtown Press, Zane, heady and passionate men, managing narrative threads, remembering a time without blogs, the origin of pamie.com, selling Why Moms Are Weird, writing fiction vs. writing television, Harold Pinter, compartmentalized needs in relationships, polyamory, on being galvanized by the deadly mochas at Caffe Strada, technology, online dating vs. face-to-face contact, nervousness, shyness, inner introverts, women and clothing sizes, how blogging helps writing, Hell’s Angels in Berkeley, and how blogging provides aid to the paucity of playfulness in American culture.
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BSS #66: Daniel Handler
Author: Daniel Handler
Condition of Mr. Segundo: Petulant about people who use alter egos.
Subjects Discussed: Aub Zam Zam and the legendary bartender Bruno Mooshei, writing in public places, Adverbs as a novel, Nicholas Monsarrat’s Depends What You Mean By Love, how dwelling upon the thematic use of love turned into a 1,000 page first draft, connections between The Basic Eight and Adverbs, Jonathan Lethem’s binder collection, the nondescript nature of “Joe” as a character name, on writing characters within a certain age bracket, on repeating words in dialogue, bad puns, considering the literal nature of superlative sentiments, deconstructing the semantics of Dale Peck’s pugilistic review style, on being inspired by failed books, framing fiction within ornate structures, how the early stages of writing can confuse MBAs, flowcharts, Melville’s The Confidence-Man, on maintaining a cultural parallel universe, the use of pop culture in fiction, insouciant sex and reader shock in Watch Your Mouth, metafiction, John Barth, volcanos in San Francisco, and what really goes on among writers and producers in a Hollywood board room.
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Jasper and Julian
The Telegraph‘s Jasper Rees talks with Julian Barnes.