Posts Tagged‘Book reviewing’

Home » Book reviewing » Page 58

The Wednesday Web Browser for Writers

by Erika Dreifus on
4
  • If you’re looking for some short stories to read online, you might begin with the StorySouth Million Writers Award list of notable stories for 2010.
  • Ellen Meeropol has a dual perspective on bookstore readings: She has participated as an event organizer and as an author. Which makes her advice especially insightful.
  • This may be old news already for some of you, but here goes: Last Sunday evening I watched 60 Minutes for the first time in awhile. And one of the show’s segments was about author Greg Mortenson, author of the presumably nonfictional Three Cups of Tea: “[L]ast fall, we began investigating complaints from former donors, board members, staffers, and charity watchdogs about Mortenson and the way he is running his non-profit organization. And we found there are serious questions about how millions of dollars have been spent, whether Mortenson is personally benefiting, and whether some of the most dramatic and inspiring stories in his books are even true.”
  • If you haven’t visited the Poetry Foundation’s website for awhile, you should click on over and check out the redesign.
  • I keep reading wonderful reviews of Meghan O’Rourke’s new book, a memoir titled The Long Goodbye (here’s one). And part of me really wants to read it. But part of me is just too afraid to. I’m afraid that it will make me unbearably sad. Have any of you ever felt that way about a book?
  • Our friend Wordamour has a short essay in a new book, Flashlight Memories, which, according to Wordamour’s blog, “is all about people’s early experiences with reading and books, otherwise known in academia as ‘literacy autobiographies’ or ‘literacy narratives.'” To celebrate the book’s publication–and to celebrate all of our personal literacy stories–Wordamour will award a copy of Flashlight Memories to one of the commenters on her blog. You have until May 15 to post your narrative.

    • Friday Find: Candid Tips from Editors on Book Reviewing

    by Erika Dreifus on
    2

    One of the problems with living in New York City–and trying to do decent work at your bills-paying day job to allow you to continue living there–is that you can’t possibly attend all of the wonderful literary events that take place in this city and also maintain your health/sanity/family relationships. But this week, I did make it to an evening event at the Writers’ Institute at the Graduate Center of The City University of New York (CUNY). On the other hand, I failed to get myself to the Grad Center last month, when, organized by the same institute, an amazing group of editors–Henry Finder, Radhika Jones, Robert Messenger, and Sam Tanenhaus–addressed one of my favorite topics: book reviewing.

    Luckily for me, when I went to the institute’s website to check the details for this week’s event, I noticed that a podcast of the book-reviewing session is now available. I listened to it yesterday (before adding it to the list of podcasts at cuny.edu/creativewriting, the website I get to maintain as part of the aforementioned day job). And it’s great. If you have some time this weekend, take the opportunity to listen.

    Enjoy, and see you back here on Monday.

    Thursday’s Post-Publication Post: Update on Reviews, Giveaways, Events & The Blue Card

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    It’s been busy lately, and here’s some of what’s been happening with my story collection, Quiet Americans, in recent days.

  • Reviews and ratings continue to accrue (thank you!) on the book’s Amazon and Goodreads pages. Yesterday, I discovered an especially lovely Amazon review that was posted on April 5. (And no, I do not know the reviewer personally!)
  • The giveaway that I announced last week to mark the release of the Kindle version (which, by the way, can be read even without a Kindle device) ended yesterday. Congratulations to the winners (you can see who they are in the giveaway post’s comments section), and thanks to everyone who entered for the helpful feedback.
  • I’ve been practicing the portion of Quiet Americans that I plan to read this weekend in the Sunday Salon series. If you’re thinking of attending, I promise you that I will stick to my time limit! (I may even have a minute-and-a-half to spare.)
  • And I’m really looking forward to next Tuesday’s online chat with participants in the Jewish Book Council’s Twitter Book Club. (Will I “see” you there?)
  • Most important, now that we’ve entered the second quarter of 2011, I’ve sent The Blue Card its first “cut” of the book sale profits/royalties. It’s a not-insignificant, three-figure sum, and I hope that I’ll be able to do even more next quarter. Thank you all for making the contribution possible. (Extra thanks to the friends and family who have made contributions independently, in honor of the book’s publication. You are exceptionally classy–and generous–people!)

    • The Wednesday Web Browser for Writers

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled
  • If you review translated books, you’ll be interested in these thoughts from prominent literary translators. (via the German Book Office)
  • Speaking of reviewing, get to know critic Ron Charles, aka “the Totally Hip Video Book Reviewer.”
  • Check out this sneak preview of Silver Sparrow, the next novel by Tayari Jones.
  • While we’re talking fiction: Jacob Appel suggests “10 Ways to Start Your Story Better.”
  • Yet another set of excellent tips for freelancers from Kelly James-Enger.
  • Another week, another worthwhile writing prompt from Midge Raymond.
  • Photos (by Anthony Buccino) of the women poets who took part in last Saturday’s “Girl Talk” poetry reading in West Caldwell, N.J. (yours truly included). Many thanks again to Diane Lockward for organizing the event.
  • Want to see something else that’s pretty cool? My fellow Last Light Studio author, Jane Roper, has just launched the website for her novel, Eden Lake. (Kind of makes you realize what a summer hit it’s going to be, doesn’t it?)

    • Quotation of the Week: Charles Baxter

    by Erika Dreifus on
    1

    A reviewer is entitled to any opinion at all, but he or she earns that opinion based on a description and a judicious citation of evidence.

    –Charles Baxter

    Taken from “Owl Criticism,” the title of Charles Baxter’s presentation for a panel on “The Good Review” at the latest conference of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP), and published last week on Fiction Writers Review.

    Now, if we could only/also get everyone writing critiques in workshops to go along with this concept, we’d all be in a much more productive business.