October 22, 2012 On the Shelf Literary Salons, Unfilmable Books By Sadie Stein The Cleveland Public Library introduces a new library card commemorating the life of Cleveland-based author, film subject, and misanthrope Harvey Pekar. The Pekar-edition card will be available from this month at branches of CPL. Everyone’s a salonniere: Louis Vuitton has started a Parisian literary salon. Well, sort of. It also sells stuff. And will later be incorporated into the LV boutique, so. “I start a book in 1978 and finish it 34 years later, without enjoying a single minute of the enterprise.” Joe Queenan’s reading habits. The alternative approach: how to talk about books you haven’t read. Allegedly unfilmable books. [tweetbutton] [facebook_ilike]
October 19, 2012 On the Shelf 007, Moby-Dick, Literates By Sadie Stein The handwritten contract for Moby-Dick. The top ten literary parodies! (Warning: highly subjective and skews very British. But then, it would.) Watch the trailer for Midnight’s Children. In the words of one YouTube commenter, “can b a gud movie for literates.” In news that will shock no one, Swedish researchers find writers are unusually prone to depression, mood disorders, and substance abuse. The Economist charts the kills, conquests, and tipples of the various James Bonds.
October 18, 2012 On the Shelf Mimes, Tattoos, and Whales By Sadie Stein The Mime Alphabet Book and other odd titles. Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies: Man Booker Prize winners and now BBC miniseries and stage plays, too. This children’s librarian has perhaps the ultimate children’s librarian tattoo. A slide show of Robert Frost’s Vermont home. Moby-Dick gets the Google treatment. [tweetbutton] [facebook_ilike]
October 17, 2012 On the Shelf Wordy Joyce, Papal Deals By Sadie Stein Word portraits by artist John Sokol. Thanks to a new ruling, a massive Kafka archive could soon be made public. Pope Benedict has inked a book deal; no word yet on the figure. Hilary Mantel has won her second Man Booker Prize for Bring Up the Bodies. Obviously, Johnny Depp has his own imprint. [tweetbutton] [facebook_ilike]
October 16, 2012 On the Shelf The Long and Short of It By Sadie Stein Adorable, literal interpretations of author names by illustrator Mattias Adolfsson. “I know I said that if I lived to 100 I’d not regret what happened last night. But I woke up this morning and a century had passed. Sorry.” Geoff Dyer, Jackie Collins, A. M. Homes, and others attempt the 140-character novel. Speaking of brevity, Ian McEwan declares that the novella is the superior written form because “you can hold the whole thing structurally in your mind at once.” Qin Dynasty book burnings. Patti Smith: “I remember the very first time I saw Kristen Stewart and Rob Pattinson together, when they were younger, and I thought, Those two kids could have easily played us [in Just Kids] when they were first starting. There’s something in his eyes. And Robert [Mapplethorpe] was also a bit shy, and a bit stoic. Kristen has a very special quality. She’s not conventionally beautiful, but very charismatic.” [tweetbutton] [facebook_ilike]
October 15, 2012 On the Shelf Babyish Handwriting, Malarkey By Sadie Stein Is Spotify for books coming? University of Missouri Press gets a reprieve! Abraham Lincoln: the inexhaustible subject. Speaking of the presidency: a guide to malarkey. “A bit sad and even a little babyish”: a handwriting expert analyzes the penmanship of Lady Gaga, Barack Obama, and Prince William, among others. (Spoiler: the quote refers to the leader of the free world.) [tweetbutton] [facebook_ilike]