the Literary Saloon

opinionated commentary on literary matters

Fortune Told in Blood in Tehran - (Found July 2, 2008 )

Davud Ghaffarzadegan's Fortune Told in Blood recently came out -- and we have reviewed it -- but sadly this American publication seems to have attracted more notice back in Iran than anywhere in the US.
http://www.complete-review.com/saloon/archive/200806c.htm#fm8

Appelfeld's Grinzane Cavour prize - (Found July 2, 2008 )

They handed out the Premio Grinzane Cavour a few weeks back, and we still can't make heads or tails of this thing. It seems everyone gets one.
http://www.complete-review.com/saloon/archive/200806c.htm#fo1

E.L.Doctorow: 'The White Whale' - (Found July 2, 2008 )

In The Nation they reprint E.L.Doctorow's keynote address from the April, 2007 joint meeting of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society on "The Public Good: Knowledge as the Foundation for a Democratic Society", The White Whale.
http://www.complete-review.com/saloon/archive/200806c.htm#fo2

Review goodies - (Found July 2, 2008 )

At Paper Cuts Rachel Harris writes about all the goodies that arrive with review-copies at The New York Times Book Review, in We Get Mail; click through to the amusing slide show.
http://www.complete-review.com/saloon/archive/200806c.htm#fo3

African Writers Series ! - (Found July 2, 2008 )

Heinemann's marvelous African Writers Series is back ! Though apparently it was never really gone -- just sort of comatose.
http://www.complete-review.com/saloon/archive/200806c.htm#fn3

Chinese writing online - (Found July 2, 2008 )

At NPR Laura Sydell reports that Chinese Authors Find Creative Outlets on the Web.
http://www.complete-review.com/saloon/archive/200806c.htm#fn4

Reading in ... Iran - (Found July 2, 2008 )

Yet another country, yet more sorry statistics -- and these really are pretty impressive: MNA report that Each Iranian reads one book every 1892 days.
http://www.complete-review.com/saloon/archive/200806c.htm#fn5

Atwood gets a Prince of Asturias Award - (Found July 2, 2008 )

Margaret Atwood has been awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for Letters.
http://www.complete-review.com/saloon/archive/200806c.htm#fn6

Rushdie picks up his knighthood - (Found July 2, 2008 )

Salman Rushdie was finally officially knighted yesterday, the English queen whacking him with her sword or whatever the hell they ceremoniously do.
http://www.complete-review.com/saloon/archive/200806c.htm#fn7

The Kindly Ones and another Littell-interview - (Found July 2, 2008 )

Jonathan Littell's Prix Goncourt-winning Les Bienveillantes will be coming out in Charlotte Mandell's English translation next March, as The Kindly Ones, and it's now finally listed at Amazon. Meanwhile, the Frankfurter Rundschau offer a brilliant interview with him -- and we can't wait for the American book tour, by which time we hope he wil be even more fed up.
http://www.complete-review.com/saloon/archive/200806c.htm#fm9