This Sunday, Josip Novakovich gives us an essay on friendship addiction and male friendships. One fun and thought-provoking aspect of this piece is its radical difference in tone from the essay Emily Rapp wrote, some months ago, on female friendship for the Sunday Rumpus. I almost feel like a whole gender studies class could revolve around these two essays . . .
Speaking of gender: over at The Nervous Breakdown, Arielle Bernstein’s outstanding essay, “Girl, Uninterrupted,” unpacks the loaded nature of the word girl, and the culture of girlhood.
Stacy Bierlein recently read at the final installment of The Rumpus’ reading series at The Make-Out Room. Word has it she wore a leather dress and fishnets. Why aren’t there pictures I can link to? Who is to blame for this lack of photography? Fine, here’s a link, then, to a starred review of her fabulous collection, A Vacation on the Island of Ex-Boyfriends, on PW. But you know what? I think their reviews always read like book reports, so here’s also a more juicy review.
Cheryl Strayed’s Wild is reviewed over at Bookslut. My interview with Cheryl will also run on Bookslut next month.
I’m really excited for Edith Pearlman about her National Book Critics Circle win. I used to publish her in Other Voices magazine. I think I maybe rejected this now-winning book, when she submitted an earlier version, to Other Voices Books. Shows what a subjective business this is, huh? Either that or maybe it shows that I’m an idiot. Either way, she’s a very good writer, and this is really cool news.
On the opposite/emerging spectrum of a career, I’m also thrilled by the attention newish Chicago writer, Jac Jemc, is getting. Here’s some, at HTML Giant.
Also, I want to congratulate Michael Taeckens, longtime online marketing director for Algonquin Books, on his new role at Graywolf Press. This is me being gracious, because really I wanted to work with Michael on my own forthcoming Algonquin novel next year. He rocks. If you’re a Graywolf writer, you’re happy about this news.
My kids are trying to get me to read The Hunger Games before the movie comes out. I have no link for that. I’m just saying. I’m averse, for some reason, although it’s not because I’m somehow “above” reading big bestselling YA genre books. I read all the Harry Potter books aloud to my kids and even listened to them on audiobook on car trips and have seen all the films. Still. Why don’t I want to read The Hunger Games? I don’t know, but I just don’t want to.
