David Simon Gets All Richard Price
Here’s the kind of inside information that separates the truly knowledgeable insiders from the writers who just learn from Wikipedia. In “David Simon on Baltimore’s Anguish shares amazingly detailed knowledge of the cop beat and the unwritten codes of behavior that, in years gone by, governed interactions between the “good guys” and the “bad guys.”…
continue readingBiggs Says DRM Sucks
Well, I’m probably exaggerating a bit with that “sucks” choice of words. But suffice it to say, Slushpile’s John Biggs isn’t a fan of digital rights management (DRM) technology used by publishers. He doesn’t employ DRM with his own book Mytro and suggests that the paradigm shift so that indie writers “think in terms of…
continue readingNew GM Book Promises Look Inside Family Revivals
As a writer, I have always admired books that chronicle an entire group of people or even a town. It’s hard enough to write one book about one subject. But getting committments and information from multiple people, especially on difficult topics, is a real chore. So I was intrigued by this news item in the…
continue readingTake a Bite Out of Buford’s Among the Thugs
The soccer controversy out of the World Cup today about Luis Suarez biting an opponent reminded me of the fabulous book Among the Thugs by Bill Buford. Prior to writing bestsellers about cooking, Buford churned out an amazing book that provided an inside look into soccer hooligan culture. Well worth grabbing off the shelf for…
continue readingThe Rants of Gordon Lish
Under normal circumstances, I would be ecstatic that the great Barry Hannah gets a mention — any mention — in Newsweek magazine. But this article of Gordon Lish in decline just rubs me the wrong way. I know a number of people who took Lish’s workshop and a couple who were edited by him. So…
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