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Exercises in Style
Exercises in Style has been one of the most beloved books in the New Directions catalog since they first published it in 1981.
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Posts Tagged: Jonathan Lethem
The Ecstasy of Influence
In The Ecstasy of Influence, Jonathan Lethem skips through culture—fine arts to music to literature to the personal and collective context of it all.
On Criticism
At The Awl, Maria Bustillos breaks down the back-and-forth between Jonathan Lethem and James Wood over Lethem’s The Fortress of Solitude, interpreting both Wood’s original review and Lethem’s recent response. Ruminating on the possibility of improved communication between authors, readers, and critics, Bustillos locates where the process of reading is “working” for both authors.
...moreA History of Plagiarism
What do Bob Dylan, Eli Wallach and Nabokov have in common? Artistic appropriation.
And it’s not just those guys—but possibly all artists. Appropriation, recasting stories and lines into another form, is inherently a part of all art. Jonathan Lethem’s essay, “The Ecstasy of Influence: A Plagiarism,” discusses appropriation, plagiarism and the historically-relevant participants of this artistic phenomenon.
...moreNotable New York, This Week 9/20 – 9/26
This week in New York Josh Neufeld gets graphic, How I Learned teaches us how to inhale, FDG Reading Series returns, Guillermo del Toro signs book two of three, Sam Lipsyte joins Brando Skyhorse, Arrested Development parties, and DUMBO Arts Festival takes over Brooklyn.
...moreJonathan Lethem and David Gates Talk Facebook, Internet, The Future
“I have no idea how to handle this new mode of living (I guess “living” is the word) in fiction. I probably spend more time e-mailing and reading online than I do having non-virtual human contact—and I bet I’m not that unusual.
...moreThe Rumpus Sunday Book Blog Roundup
Jonathan Lethem has been hired for David Foster Wallace’s old teaching post at Pomona. (via @maudnewton)
“Lots of people in Indiana Jones hats today. I approve.” From @WriterDaniel at this Twitter roundup from the LA Times Festival of Books.
...moreThe Rumpus Sunday Book Blog Roundup
Who doesn’t like bookplate porn? (via)
The Rumpus doesn’t do pop culture, but if you happen to have written something about Lady Gaga, you might want to send it here. (PS. GIANT doesn’t lie. Kate Durbin is awesome.)
Apparently, this Orange Prize judge thinks women — at least the women nominated for the Orange Prize — write too much “misery lit.”
Which is more violent — The Bible or the Quran?
...moreNotable New York, This Week 1/25 – 1/31
This week in New York Lydia Davis and Richard Howard read, John Wray, Heidi Julavits and Sarah Manguso discuss ebooks at Melville House, Of Montreal and Damon & Naomi perform, Lapham’s Quarterly celebrates the launch of its Religion Issue, artists recreate the filmography of David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest character James Incandenza, and Selected Shorts presents actors acting out stories from Best European Fiction 2010.
Rumpus Books Sunday Supplement
This week, Rumpus books published pieces about fucking and writing, A Common Pornography, and Folksy Fruit. Also, there was an interview with Jonathan Lethem.
The Rumpus Long Interview with Jonathan Lethem
“I don’t go down wrong paths, I’d rather stare at the screen and delete until I’ve put something down that is working. So, I don’t discard material; I don’t have a lot of false starts or unfinished stories or novels lying around.
The Big Book Club
There are books on the NEA’s list that I haven’t read and undoubtedly should read—but unless I’ve made a New Year’s resolution, I prefer to stumble upon my next book.
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Notable New York, This Week 10/19-10/25
This week, Chinua Achebe speaks, n+1 in conversation with Reihan Salam and Ross Douthat, Jonathan Lethem reads, composer/drummer Bobby Previte with Psychedelic Furs’ Knox Chandler, photographer Jeff Wall presents more urban decay, “junkyard bohos” Huggabroomstik play, CMJ Music Marathon begins and Renée Fleming sings at the Met.
Notable New York, This Week 10/12-10/18
MONDAY, October 12, 2009 – SUNDAY, October 18, 2009
This week in New York, The New Yorker Festival hits town. And yes, while the “Humor Revue,” “About Towns,” and “Kaffeeklatches” seem to have been sold out before they were on sale, there’re still some good readings and “Screen Gems” available, and a slim, if precariously so, window for getting tickets to sold-out events (see below) – and see a full schedule here; A Festival of Frightening Movies begins at Lincoln Center, and Spike Jonze week continues a the MOMA, in celebration of the Friday release of Where the Wild Things Are.
...moreWhen a Writer Becomes an Adjective
Kafka. Joyce. Woolf. Dickens. Nabokov.
All of these writers have become adjectives. (Arguably, “Kafkaesque” is the most overused one of the mix. And “Nabokovian” the least-earned moniker.)
Just last April, a prolific and prophetic English writer by the name of J.G.
...moreLethem on the “Squandered Promise” of Science Fiction
“In 1973 Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow was awarded the Nebula, the highest honor available in the field once known as “science fiction” — a term now mostly forgotten.
“Sorry, just dreaming… [T]hough Gravity’s Rainbow really was nominated for the 1973 Nebula, it was passed over for Arthur C.
...moreJonathan Lethem Meets The Thing
I was waiting on a couple the other night at a restaurant where I work, and I saw a strange box on their table that had Jonathan Lethem‘s name printed on it.
When they opened it up, a pair of black glasses rested inside, and they asked me if I would try them on. So I did. Then they asked, “Do you see any chaldrons?” at which point I was like “wtf?”
They tried to explain to me what The Thing is. Started by Jonn Herschend and Will Rogan, The Thing is “an object based quarterly publication” where artists, writers, musicians, film artists, etc., create an object that somehow includes text. The object is made, wrapped and sent out to you, the diligent subscriber. The point is that Jonathan Lethem got involved with The Thing, made some crazy glasses, and talked about chaldrons.
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