As always, Sarah Weinman does a bang-up roundup of the weekend’s book reviews. Of note: Jim Ruland on Jamestown — “a wild, violent, mordantly hilarious retelling of how the first permanent English settlement in the New World came into being.”
Meanwhile, the Scott Timberg focuses on apocalyptic fiction for the LA Times, and gets a beautiful summary from Steve Erickson:
“Twenty years ago, there was still an insularity to a lot of fiction, especially work put out by the New York publishing houses. It was still doing Raymond Carver and that neorealist minimalist thing. It regarded the futurism that’s kind of implicit in apocalyptic writing as kind of lowbrow.”
Now, Erickson said, “there’s a new generation of writers who are more involved with other things happening in the culture.”
Dear Steve Erickson: wanna take a leave from CalArts and come to Pitt for a year? No? Damn.
Back to apocalyptic fiction. I wager The Road is going to take all at the Morning News’ Tournament of Books, but can it be detoured by Half a Yellow Sun? Tune in today to find out. Later this week: Pynchon awaits.
Who is this Jack Butler and why am I still clueless about him? So much catching up to do.
Audio catching up: Jonathan Lethem on Studio 360. Talking about Fortress of Solitude? Wha? No You Don’t Love Me Yet? Guess I should listen and figure it out.
More goodness: a biography of pioneering Chicano artist Gronk is reviewed by Daniel Olivas for the El Paso Times.
The filthy, funny, fantastic Campus Ladies have been dismissed from Oxygen. Comedy Central, stop being a wuss and pick these girls up.
Remember, come 2008: Alan warned you.
