Soft Skull News

Now that he has a book of his own, The War Nerd offers his summer reading list. Zero overlap with USA Today and the Wall Street Journal.

Posted by Richard Eoin Nash at 01:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

...so go books? USA Today on Zinio.

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...I just know that James knows what he's doing. Presenting James Bridle's Bkkeepr.

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I mentioned them before, and now they've returned the favor. Three Guys One Book turn their attention to All About Lulu, our sweet-bundle-of-summer-coming-of-age-lovin.

After the jump, a medium-sized taste of how these guys interact. I think they're doing something rather special—not quite critic, because they are in too deep in the books. They allow themselves to become invested in the outcomes of the story itself. But they're not quite advocates for (or against) the book as such. It's somehow, I think, in their conversations, each is an advocate for his individual experience of being involved with the book.

Semi-related, nice item in the Los Angeles Times on how Lulu got optioned by an indie film production company.

Dennis Haritou: Jonathan, I must say you tricked me, not once but several times, in that I convinced myself that the plot was moving in a certain direction only to find out that you were taking your characters elsewhere. This is a very good thing. But the first puzzlement that surfaced while I was playing dodge-ball with this text was why William obsessed about Lulu so much. When Lulu's face is described early in the book by a reference to Mr. Potato Head (very funny, I must say) I knew what was working on William was more than just Lulu's looks. I wonder what you, JC and JR, thought of William's obsession with Lulu. Somehow this obsession, including the infamous "Lulu notebooks" that he keeps, helps William to become his own man. Is that the way you guys saw it?

Jason Rice: To be perfectly honest I was riveted to this book until about page 150 and then I thought to my self two things. 1. Why isn’t William more obsessed with Lulu? 2. How does Evison pull off what I’ve been trying to do my self for years? Tell a coming of age story, or have a character of an age under 18 talk like an adult, but still get the story out into the world, and have the kid live a kid life. So many people look at this type of story and say, “A kid wouldn’t talk like this.” No, he would, he’s surrounded by domineering adults, and situations that are anything but fluff and childlike. He isn’t given a second on the pulpit unless he can communicate his thoughts like an adult, to the only other people in the room, his parents. His brothers are just there for window dressing, and to have his character be soulfully alone and pine endlessly for a girl who is pineless. After page 150 I went into a place of shock and awe at how quickly Evison moves from his voice, to William’s and manages to make me believe that this guy is really someone and not just a mouthpiece for Evison. Then I noticed how manipulated Evison was by William. A shocking revelation to be sure. His hero took the lead and started to realize that his adult advice givers were full of shit, porn lovers, whacked out philosophers, and a very base and simple minded father, whom all combine to create a force in his life that is basically a deep well of bad advice, and this is the only place to get a drink of water for a thousand miles.

Posted by Richard Eoin Nash at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As some of you have heard, cause you know these sorts of things, Shannon Burke's Black Flies will be reviewed on the cover of the upcoming New York Times Book Review. (A review by Liesl Schillinger, whom I particularly admire, making it extra-special.)

But that is not what this post is about. I discovered a rather intense conversation about the book amongst Shannon's former peerd in the paramedic/EMT community. And reading through the whole thing, I felt really proud to have anything at all to do with the seriousness of purpose with which they discussed this novel.

It starts with one paramedic blogger's post, which in turn generates a bunch of comments which that blogger discusses, and then Shannon responds.

Keep in mind, as you read this, what these folks' day job is—life and death, nothing less. It reminds you that fiction actually does matter. It really fucking matters.

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The translator of Mercury Under My Tongue, Sheila Fischman, has won the Molson Prize. Which, though unfamiliar perhaps to us down here, except as regards its sponsor, is a mega-big-deal. To quote the PR (appears in full after the jump):

Two Molson Prizes, worth $50,000 each, are awarded every year to distinguished Canadians, one in the arts and the other in the social sciences or humanities. The prizes recognize the recipients’ outstanding lifetime achievements and ongoing contributions to the cultural and intellectual life of Canada.

For immediate release

Sheila Fischman, Angus McLaren win Canada Council for the Arts Molson Prizes

Ottawa, May 21, 2008 — Montrealer Sheila Fischman, one of Canada’s top literary translators and Angus McLaren, a University of Victoria professor and world-renowned expert on the history of sexuality, are the winners of this year’s Molson Prizes, presented by the Canada Council for the Arts.

Ms. Fischman, who has translated more than 125 books by such well-known writers as Gaétan Soucy, Anne Hébert and Michel Tremblay, is the winner of the Molson Prize in the Arts. Dr. McLaren, a Distinguished Professor of History (Emeritus) at the University of Victoria, and author of at least 10 books on the history of sexuality, gender and reproduction, is the winner of the Molson Prize in the Social Sciences and Humanities.

Two Molson Prizes, worth $50,000 each, are awarded every year to distinguished Canadians, one in the arts and the other in the social sciences or humanities. The prizes recognize the recipients’ outstanding lifetime achievements and ongoing contributions to the cultural and intellectual life of Canada.

Of this year’s recipients, the jury said: “With more than 125 translations of works by Quebec authors to her credit, Sheila Fischman has introduced Canada’s French-language literature to countless English-language readers both at home and abroad. Her phenomenal body of work has made a significant contribution to Canadian heritage by giving expression to a wide range of voices and building bridges between the two cultures. Literary translation is an under-recognized art form, an act of creation in which the creator is often anonymous. Ms. Fischman has perfected this art form and deserves to be applauded by all Canadians.”

“Angus McLaren is an imaginative and prolific historian who has increased significantly our understanding of sexuality, gender and reproduction, and other related topics. Dr. McLaren’s insightful scholarship, encompassing many books and articles, sheds new light on issues that are an important part of our social fabric. Drawing on a rich array of sources and addressing historical experience broadly, his writing emerges out of a deep engagement with international scholarship yet it is accessible to a broader public. Translated and republished in many languages, this body of research has brought him international recognition as a leading figure in a number of fields of inquiry.”

Established in 1964, the Molson Prizes are funded from the income of an endowment given to the Canada Council for the Arts by the Molson Foundation and now valued at more than $2.6 million. The Council administers these awards in cooperation with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and, following a nomination process, both laureates are selected by a joint peer jury. The winner of last year’s Molson Prize in the Arts was composer, conductor and music educator Alex Pauk. The Molson Prize in the Social Sciences and Humanities went to University of Waterloo philosophy professor Paul Thagard.

This year’s Molson Prize jury was co-chaired by Carol Bream, Director of Communications of the Canada Council for the Arts, and by Gordana Krcevinac, Director, Fellowships and Institutional Grants Division of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The jury was made up of Patricia Demers, professor of English and Film Studies, University of Alberta (Edmonton); literary translator Linda Gaboriau (Montreal); violinist and general artistic director of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra Peter Gardner (St. Philips, NL); Denis Jeffrey, department director of Teaching and Learning Studies, Laval University (Quebec City); interdisciplinary artist Margo Kane (Vancouver); and Bryan Palmer, Canada Research Chair in Canadian Studies chairholder and professor of Canadian Studies, Trent University (Peterborough).

Sheila Fischman
Born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Sheila Fischman is a graduate of the University of Toronto. A co founder of the periodical Ellipse: Œuvres en traduction/Writers in Translation she has also been a columnist for the Toronto Globe and Mail and the Montreal Gazette, a broadcaster with CBC Radio, and was literary editor of the Montreal Star. She now devotes herself full time to literary translation, specializing in contemporary Quebec fiction, and has translated more than 125 Quebec novels.

Ms. Fischman has received numerous honours, including the Governor General’s Literary Award (1998) for which she has been a finalist 14 times, two Canada Council Translation Prizes, and two Félix-Antoine Savard Awards from Columbia University in New York. She has long been recognized for her enthusiastic efforts to bring new Quebec writers to the attention of an English-speaking readership. She was named to the Order of Canada in 2000. Ms. Fischman lives in Montreal.

Angus McLaren
Angus McLaren, Distinguished Professor of History (Emeritus) at the University of Victoria, received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia and Master of Arts and Ph.D. from Harvard University. His many books and articles that focus primarily on the history of reproduction have appeared in Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Hungarian, Korean, Chinese and French translations. A recipient of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) research grants, a SSHRC exchange researcher in France and a visiting professor of the history of medicine at the University of Toronto, McLaren has received awards from the Canadian Historical Review for best article written on Canadian history and from the Royal Society of Canada for the best book written on the history of medicine in Canada. An associate editor of several journals including The Journal of the History of Sexuality, Victorian Review, and the Canadian Bulletin of Medical History, he is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a Life Fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge. Mr. McLaren lives in Vancouver.

Photos of winners
Downloadable images of the winners are available in the image gallery of the Canada Council.

General information
In addition to its principal role of promoting and fostering the arts in Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts administers and awards prizes and fellowships to more than 150 artists and scholars annually in the arts, humanities, social sciences, natural and health sciences, and engineering. Among these are the Killam Prizes, the Killam Research Fellowships, the Governor General’s Literary Awards, the Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts and the Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts.

For more information about these awards, including nomination procedures, contact Janet Riedel Pigott, Endowments and Prizes Program Officer, at 613-566-4414, or 1-800-263 5588, ext. 4116, e-mail: janet.riedel@canadacouncil.ca or Joanne Larocque-Poirier, Head, Endowments and Prizes at 613-566-4414, or 1-800-263 5588, ext. 5041, e-mail: joanne.larocque poirier@canadacouncil.ca.

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Media contact: Canada Council for the Arts
Carole Breton 613-566-4414 or 1-800-263-5588, ext. 4523
E-mail: carole.breton@canadacouncil.ca
Donna Balkan 613-566-4305 or 1-800-263-5588, ext. 4134
E-mail: donna.balkan@canadacouncil.ca
Web site: www.canadacouncil.ca.

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
Eva Schacherl 613-992-7302
E-mail: eva.schacherl@sshrc.ca
Web site: www.sshrc.ca

Tous les documents du Conseil des Arts du Canada sont offerts en français et en anglais.

350 Albert Street 350, rue Albert
Post Office Box 1047 Case postale 1047
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5V8 Ottawa (Ontario) K1P 5V8
www.canadacouncil.ca www.conseildesarts.ca

Posted by Richard Eoin Nash at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What is absolutely clear is that publishers need to become enablers for reading and its associated processes (discussion; research; note-taking; writing; reference following) to take place across a multitude of platforms and throughout all the varying modes of a readers’ activities and lifestyle.

Good enough so far that I might link to this six times for each installment of the piece. (Thanks PND)

Posted by Richard Eoin Nash at 03:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Great review of Dead in Desemboque in today's El Paso Times! (A first for us...)

This marvelous chronicle of a death foretold is a stunning achievement that invites comparisons to Homer's "Odyssey" -- also a story about a love disrupted by the trials and tribulations during one man's dangerous journey back to the arms of his beloved.

The changing illustrators give each episode a distinctive and appropriate tone, and Eddy, though his appearance changes slightly with each section, remains an endearing down-on-his-luck hero through every panel and every peril.

Arellano's text in "Dead in Desemboque" moves the genre into a more literary sphere, though it maintains its roots to the tried and true Mexican tradition of engaging storytelling. This graphic novel, aptly subtitled "Historias de Amor y Sangre" ("Tales of Love and Blood"), is a grown-up, old-fashioned Western at heart that highlights the Mexican male in a leading protagonist role and not in a secondary, stereotypical depiction.

This intra-lingual, international historieta is an excellent addition to the popular graphic novel genre.

Posted by Richard Eoin Nash at 02:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

New book blog arrives, ThreeGuysOneBook—on the one hand, just three guys who like books, on the other hand, they represent a good chunk of the literary consciousness of an enterprise called Bookazine, a company that occupies in interesting position in the book ecology/supply chain. I wish I were better educated about the history of book distribution because these guys are basically the last of a breed of wholesaler called the "jobber"—so far as I can tell, their genius was a combination of their ability to manage same-day delivery, and be able to provide pretty personalized advice to booksellers.

Anyhow, so far, they've been at it three weeks and have given us Sarvas, Benioff, and a debut called Outtakes From a Marriage.

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I still have not been able to figure out the scheduling functionality—this was supposed to go live on Sunday, but didn't...

Posted by Richard Eoin Nash at 09:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

OK, so this is exciting, We've a button on the iPhone.

OK, so the image is of the Facebook app version of this iPhone eBook reader, but it's the same deal on the iPhone. So, if you're on your iPhone right now, go here, if you wanna check out the company here, and on Facebook here.

Posted by Richard Eoin Nash at 03:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Minzheimer on The Solitary Vice.

"The book is provocatively subtitled Against Reading. If that weren't enough, its title is borrowed from the Victorian euphemism for masturbation."

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Top notch speech, transcribed here. Sorry, folks, you gotta read the whole thing, even the bit at the end focused on the speaker's audience (Danes...)

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The transition for some.

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Our Beth Lapides (she of Did I Wake You?—you can get a signed copy at BEA at our booth) interviews Mary Roach.

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Where I was, as a young teenager back in the early 80s, you’d hear a band like Throbbing Gristle or Psychic TV and they’d start talking about William Burroughs, and you’d wonder who that was so you’d find out about things that way.—Jack Sargeant, describing the impulse behind the two books of his we're re-issuing this year, Deathtripping: The Cinema of Transgression and Naked Lens: Beat Cinema, an impulse that reminds of what animates so many people working in "indie" culture, you follow what you like, and sooner or later, you're doing what we do.

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Dead in Desemboque on sale in a few weeks.

Posted by Richard Eoin Nash at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

...for the 2008 Believer Book of the Year. As is Tom McCarthy, author of Tintin, in this instance for last year's novel Remainder.

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Chris Anderson isn't the only guy wondering if the price of content is heading towards zero. Mr. Marginal Revolution just noticed, too.

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