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Counterbalance

, I adore books. They make me swoon, and I want to share what I would read right this minute, right now, if I didn’t have to read another proposal, another email, another book I really, really want to read, I’m shamelessly thiefing Callie’s brilliant idea. Each week you’ll hear me talk about books on my proverbial radar. Books I want to read. Books I want you to know about. So, after the jump, are this week’s picks! Read the rest of this entry »

great Aleksandar Hemon when he came through New York. But Chicagoist caught up with him recently. (via Mark Athitakis) Steven Gillis guests at The Syntax of Things. Tom Bissell’s interview with the Avenger. (via Eric) Three Guys, One Book. Callie on ridiculous paperback reissue covers. The OED is going all digital. Nothing Luddite about it. This is utterly depressing news for those of us who like to hole up on the couch with a thick dictionary on one side and a thick tome on the other. What next? An imposed limit on reference book

Counterbalance has an interview with Felicia Sullivan, author of The Sky Isn't Visible from Here up at LAist: On odd Q&A that results from writing a memoir: "One gentleman asked if my mother had “jungle fever” and whether I’d be angry if my biological

sucks" - effectively reported by Edward Marriott for The Sydney Morning Herald - is overwhelming. It overwhelms the fact of Diaz' teaching stint at MIT. It overwhelms the ghasps of pleasure from global lit crits. It even overwhelms Carrie Miller's record of a reading the Dominican-American writer gave at an LA bookshop. You can always rely on Carrie to give the good oil (despite her endearing gushiness). Carrie had been acqainted with Diaz because she read his first book - of short stories - ten years ago. Of

litmag correspondence gone awry. Also: more litmags should do this. I'm not sure what to say about this, but I'm sure someone else is. Matt Bell on Sloane Crosley's essay collection, and writing about video games. L.A. Times Festival of Books coverage. Get well soon! Max revisits the prizewinners. John Baker on Death of a Murderer. Why write short stories? Should writers be readers? (via) Dan on Storyglossia #27, which is

litmag correspondence gone awry. Also: more litmags should do this. I'm not sure what to say about this, but I'm sure someone else is. Matt Bell on Sloane Crosley's essay collection, and writing about video games. L.A. Times Festival of Books coverage. Get well soon! Max revisits the prizewinners. John Baker on Death of a Murderer. Why write short stories? Should writers be readers? (via) Dan on Storyglossia #27, which is

you who came out to Korn Convocation Hall on the UCLA campus on Saturday. The place was packed, my panelists were great, and I had a wonderful time, even though I managed to get several sunburns. You can find full coverage of the fest at Jacket Copy, Counterbalance, and Book Fox. And of course don't miss Tod Goldberg's take on the weekend.

you who came out to Korn Convocation Hall on the UCLA campus on Saturday. The place was packed, my panelists were great, and I had a wonderful time, even though I managed to get several sunburns. You can find full coverage of the fest at Jacket Copy, Counterbalance, and Book Fox. And of course don't miss Tod Goldberg's take on the weekend.

If this week hadn't been so travel-heavy I would have cobbled together a "Girl's Guide to the LA Times Festival of Books" of sorts, but with Callie Miller and Tod Goldberg on the case, that's pretty well covered. Looking forward to seeing old friends and making new acquaintances during the weekend as well as at Friday's Mystery Bookstore extravaganza.