The Old Oxford: Downton Abbey, Gatsby, Don Draper, and Costuming Drama

There was this one shot from the premiere of the third season of Downton Abbey that has really been sticking with me. It wasn’t the epic moment when the Dowager Countess and Shirley MacLaine shared their first scene together, anything having to do with Bates in prison, or Lady Mary throwing a fit when Matthew decided he wanted to be the latest of the show’s martyrs and not accept a windfall of cash that he inherited (days before their wedding, no less). […]

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Morning Bites: Marc Maron Meets Bret Easton Ellis (On Twitter), Saul Bass For Kids, Abbey Talk, And More

That tweet by Marc Maron to Bret Easton Ellis is a perfect example of why it is perfectly alright to stay on Twitter past midnight.  We are also hopeful that this is Maron’s invite to Ellis to appear on his WTF podcast. Meredith Blake at The Paris Review meets Lady Fiona Herbert, the eighth Countess of Carnarvon, and talks about her book Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey. Rob Horning at The New Inquiry on Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. A Wisława Szymborska […]

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Morning Bites: Rushdie pulls out, Padgett Powell, Downton lit zombies, Alice Bag reviewed, and more

Salman Rushdie has pulled out of Jaipur literature festival, saying he fears assassination Muslim clerics protested against his participation. Cannonball Blog reviews Alice Bag’s Violence Girl. How Padgett Powell has written his way out of conventional storytelling. Is Downton Abbey reviving the careers of long dead authors? Dolan Morgan on the mythology of hijacking at Fortnight.  (Also, read Dolan’s Sunday Story while you’re at it.) Follow Vol. 1 Brooklyn on Twitter, Facebook, Google + and our Tumblr. Got tips for Bites?  Info@Vol1brooklyn.com

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Morning Bites: Gary Shteyngart’s blurbs, Sheila Heti talks to Didion, the bones of Cervantes, and more

So many jokes about being quixotic: searching for the bones of Cervantes. What does Lord Grantham’s Downton Abbey family have in common with Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof? The collected blurbs of Gart Shteyngart. Sheila Heti talks to Joan Didion in the latest issue of The Believer.  There’s an exclusive excerpt up now. Hannah Arendt: not the biggest fan of Israel. Lana Del Ray was better in Sixteen Candles than she was on this past weekend’s Saturday Night Live. Follow […]

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Bites: Kim Kardashian vs. the Countess of Grantham, 2012 books, Tin House picks,The Men, and more

At Grantland: Downton Abbey vs. The Kardashian’s John Irving, Toni Morrison, and Michael Chabon all have books on The Atlantic’s books to look forward to in 2012 list. Scott McClanahan talks to 3:AM Magazine. On reading Jennifer Egan in Africa.  (Not the same as reading Jennifer Egan while listening to “Africa“) Tin House picks their favorite books of 2011. At Salon: Stumbling upon a treasure trove of Yiddish theatre posters. One person isn’t as excited about forthcoming album by The […]

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Morning Bites: 100 years of Patchen, Downton Abbey Booker Prize, Vanessa Veselka, Yoram Kaniuk’s movement, and more

Poet Kenneth Patchen was born 100 years ago on this day. Matthew Crawley is judging next year’s Booker Prize! (You have to watch Downton Abbey for this to matter.  Also, if you haven’t seen season two, there’s a major spoiler.  Tread lightly.) How Vanessa Veselka tried to unionize Amazon. Novelist Yoram Kaniuk started a movement when he sued to become the first Israeli citizen “without religion.”  (You should consider reading his book Life on Sandpaper, which is on Dalkey.) Chloe Caldwell […]

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Morning Bites: Post-Ann Beattie, Taylor on Stephen King, Downton Disco, bad Life covers, and more

Now that Ann Beattie’s Mrs. Nixon is out, what First Lady deserves the fiction treatment next?  Justin Taylor talking about Stephen King is one of those things you think would be cool if it happened.  Then one day it does, and you’re like, “Holy shit!  That was awesome!”  Such is the case with his piece at Tor.com. Robert Birnbaum of The Morning News sits down with Nicole Krauss. The worst covers of Life Magazine as picked by Life Magazine.  (Thanks […]

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