The Majesty of the Mundane
In my own fiction, I’ve recently been making a concerted effort to remove absolutely everything that isn’t absolutely necessary. I’ve been looking at my short stories like a race car. Pull out the radio, the air conditioning, the cruise control, the power windows, everything. Get rid of everything that doesn’t contribute to speed. This isn’t…
continue readingInitial Thoughts on A Miracle of Catfish
I posted some initial thoughts on A Miracle of Catfish over at Beatrice today. We’ll have more discussion about this novel throughout the week.
continue readingThe Return of Duncan McLean
It’s an odd coincidence. Just the other day, I was looking at the shelf full of Irvine Welsh books. Alongside some Alan Warner. And I wondered, “what ever happened to Duncan McLean?” The Scotsman answered my question for me. According to this intriguing article, McLean managed a jewelry firm, worked as a travelling salesman, and…
continue readingNew York Times Reviews
A couple of reviews in the New York Times yesterday caught my attention. James Poniewozik reviewed Joshua Ferris’s Then We Came to the End and found it “perceptive and and darkly entertaining.” And Walter Kirn reviewed William Vollman’s newest book, Poor People. Kirn makes an interesting point that Vollman’s own motives in all of his adventurous…
continue readingLife After Larry
Yesterday’s Clarion Ledger had an article about how Mary Annie Brown is coping with the passing of her husband, Larry. She’s narrowed her focus and attention to work and family, shying away from too much else right now. Mary Annie also said she cannot bring herself to read A Miracle of Catfish yet. The…
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