paperhaus October 19th, 2009
After several weeks on the road, writing and blogging and a whole summer stacked with more responsibilities than you could shake a crashed hard drive at, I’m back.
Lately I’ve:
Been named a judge of this year’s Story Prize, with A. M. Holmes and librarian Bill Kelly
Chronicled the latest successes of Sherman Alexie for the LA Times
Reviewed Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby at the LA Times
Talked to the Guardian about Lorrie Moore
Interviewed Margaret Atwood for Jacket Copy
Interviewed Michael Chabon for Jacket Copy
Interviewed James Ellroy for the Barnes & Noble Review
Attended the National Book Festival for the LA Times
Along in there I went to New York, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Iowa and Seattle. Much to tell, little time. But more soon.
paperhaus April 7th, 2009
Tomorrow is the 100th anniversary of John Fante’s birth, and I wrote an article for the LA Times about how his work — particularly “Ask the Dust”– has survived. I talked to Dan Fante, who, like his dad, is an author, and who is at work on a memoir, and who told me lots of good stuff that makes it into the article.
Zocalo holds a panel on Fante tonight at the Hammer Museum, moderated by tall guy David Kipen. Oh, he’s also NEA guy David Kipen. I can’t be there, but I am going to try to make it to the unofficiall Happy Birthday Drinks for John Fante at a Skid Row bar on Wednesday.
I am not a devoted fan of John Fante — some of Bandini’s struggles are just too juvenile for me — but I do love how he sees Los Angeles, and how it is where his true feelings lie. Like this:
Los Angeles, give me some of you! Los Angeles come to me the way I came to you, my feet over your streets, you pretty town I loved you so much, you sad flower in the sand, you pretty town.
The pretty town of Los Angeles gave me another recent article, too. Last week, I met up with Seth Grahame-Smith, author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. We shot a photo of him in a casket showroom and then he talked to me for an article that appeared in Saturday’s LA Times. The book has been #10 on Amazon — in all books, including nonfiction — since its release Wednesday.
Now: coffee.