If I’m under ground, sell all my shit you can sell
Here’s an interesting article on whether whether an author’s wishes must be honored after death. The article mentions that famed writer Terry Pratchett instructed that his hard drive should be crushed after his death. I suppose every writer has a right to decide for themselves, but as far as I’m concerned, if I’m pushing up…
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The inevitability of book deals
There are shortcomings to energetically following any industry. If you’re a sportswriter, you learn that heroes are actually fallible and sometimes frail human beings. If you are a tech blogger, you probably get sick of hearing new pitches about how this gadget is going to “make the world a better place.” If you constantly write…
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4 decades since Skynyrd plan crash
Today is the fortieth anniversary of the plane crash that claimed the lives of Ronnie Van Zant and five others associated with the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Rolling Stone magazine remembers the tragedy that altered music history. A number of interesting books have been published about the band over the years, including Lynyrd Skynyrd: Remembering…
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Hillbilly meets presidential stormer
Reports are circulating that bestselling author and unofficial spokesperson for Appalachia JD Vance has met with controversial strategist Steve Bannon regarding openings at the Heritage Foundation. The Washington Post reports that a number of powerful folks are being considered for leadership at the influential think tank. Then, at the bottom of the article, writer Vance’s…
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Oh hell yeah! Saunders wins Booker
One of my favorite literary memories was hearing George Saunders read the short story “Offloading for Mrs. Schwartz” when his first collection Civilwarland in Bad Decline was published. Saunders was a new writer and the bookstore where I worked really trumped his work. He hung around with us grad students and booksellers and told tales…
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