Earlier this year, I interviewed writer Tom Lutz at the Strand. The occasion was the release of his new novel Born Slippy, the story of two men — Frank, a self-taught carpenter, and Dmitry, an ambitious and amoral figure — whose paths cross again and again over the years. What begins as a wry character study slowly becomes a moral thriller along the lines of Graham Greene, making for a thrilling read. Before our event, I spoke with Lutz at a nearby coffee shop about his novel’s genesis, his work with the Los Angeles Review of Books, and more.
Morning Bites: Saeed Jones, Nobel Prize Reactions, Patrick Earl Ryan, Henry James on Film, and More
In our morning reading: thoughts on Saeed Jones’s memoir, a trailer for a new Henry James adaptation, and more.
The Last Days of Henry James
You have a little over a week left to go and check out Henry James and American Painting at the Morgan Library. A series of paintings of and by the people that James was influenced by and those he influenced with his work.
Morning Bites: Salter on Matthiessen, 2014 Pulitzer Prizes, Gay Talese Interviewed, Robin Black, and More
James Salter on Peter Matthiessen, Gay Talese talks with Rachel Syme, thoughts on Owls’ new album, and more.
The Reading Life: The Terrible Poster for What Maisie Knew
I want to apologize publicly to all the strangers I have run into on the street while texting someone, emailing someone, or not paying attention to traffic lights, where I was going, or really anything that isn’t my phone. It’s a problem I have: I’m a multi-tasker, for lack of a prettier word. I am a sucker for appliances with several uses—it chops and it dices! I like combination exercise classes—it’s yoga and it’s rock climbing! When I cook, I […]
Indexing: Talking “Veep,” Awesome Tapes From Africa, Jac Jemc’s “My Only Wife,” Unreliable Narrators, Benjamin Disraeli, And More
Items of interest from Vol. 1 contributors.
Morning Bites: Henry James Takedown, Tax Stephen King, Literary Upstarts, and More
Have you submitted to L Magazine’s Literary Upstart competition? You’ve got till May 28th. That time Henry James took down Charles Dickens. The most famous Jewish poet in India. Neil Gaiman posts the raw copy of his interview with Stephen King. Speaking of Stephen King: The guy just wants to be taxed! Eric Copeland (of Black Dice) has a new solo album coming out. Follow Vol. 1 Brooklyn on Twitter, Facebook, Google + and our Tumblr.
Bites: Post-Donald Barthelme, Loving Henry James, Leonard Cohen off the Road and More
At HTMLGIANT: We are living in post-Donald Barthelme times. Get used to it. At Big Other: Learning to love Henry James. At The Millions: Leonard Cohen’s tour comes to an end. No word if he will do a poetry tour or write a followup to Beautiful Losers in his spare time, but we will hold our breath in anticipation of something from him. At The Atlantic: The holocaust and literature aren’t always the best bedfellows. At Huffington Post: Justin Timberlake […]