Monthly Archives: June 2007

How weird is this? I wrote a post a few days ago about Terry Eagleton’s new book on The Meaning of Life. And then I cited Bahktin in a post on Don Quixote. And now I see this: Terry Eagleton … Continue reading →

I thought I’d try something new here, and that is tying current events to fiction. What’s in the news: Bush heads for Constitutional Showdown. (And, we hope, impeachment or, better yet, jail.) Illegal wiretapping, executive powers run amok, secret government … Continue reading →

Just a quick note to say I’ll be blogging erratically for this next week or so. My life is a bit out of kilter, and I’m trying to catch up. Oh, I finally got the short story colllections of my … Continue reading →

Freed from jury duty, she dithers on… I was feeling a little bogged down in Don Quixote. I really love the novel; it’s as bawdy and fun as a funhouse carnival ride. But, at some point, you want to get … Continue reading →

The New Yorker Fiction Issue had a great line-up this year, featuring the likes of Denis Johnson, Jeffrey Euginedes, Gary Shteyngart, and Charles D’Ambrosio. If you want more or if you missed out, check out the writers’ real-life summer memories. … Continue reading →

Bloody hell this is a good quote. From Don DeLillo (via James Tata): I was a semiconscious writer in the beginning,” he writes. “Just sat and wrote something, or read the newspaper, or went to the movies. Over time I … Continue reading →

Two new books recently have caught my eye. Oddly enough, both wrangle with philosophical issues –in entirely different ways. Woody Allen’s new book is, well, very Woody. Admittedly, I’ve cooled a bit toward Woody Allen ever since he married his … Continue reading →

I am Schroeder! “Creative and quiet describes you best. You’re most often found off to the side, watching things happen and enjoying the show. Your love of the arts and beauty is a welcome retreat from your frequent bouts of … Continue reading →

I guess it’s the pessimist in me, but the fact that 2007 is nearly half over makes me sad and queasy. I feel as if I’m neck-deep in water and running in place. A mad expenditure of energy to get … Continue reading →

JM Coetzee’s novel Disgrace was one of the best I’ve read in a decade. Unfortunately, the two novels I’ve read subsequent to Disgrace thudded in my sensibilities like drinking Kool-Aid after a glass of Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet. And to … Continue reading →