In our afternoon reading: revisiting a Ralph Ellison classic, talking with Victor LaValle, Wendy C. Ortiz on her recent reading, and more.
Celebrating The Ellison Centennial in New York City
Ralph Ellison stands as one of the most influential figures in American literature. And 2014 marks the hundredth anniversary of his birth, which means that now is as good a time as ever to venture into his body of work for the first time, revisit an old favorite, or find an aspect of his work with which you might have been less familiar.
“The Shadows Took Shape” Has a Book Club
In news of art with a literary connection, it’s worth noting The Shadows Took Shape, currently up at the Studio Museum in Harlem. If you haven’t read it already, Chase Quinn makes the case for why you should check this out at Hyperallergic. Alternately: do you like the idea of art that takes an aesthetic cue from the likes of Sun Ra, Octavia E. Butler, and Samuel R. Delany? Then this is an exhibit to which you should pay a […]
Weekend Bites: Less Than Zero Sequel has Less Than Awesome Cover, Tom Waits Does Shakespeare, Daniel Nester Giving Advice, and More
I agree with one HTMLGIANT commenter: the cover to the Less Than Zero sequel, Imperial Bedrooms, is horrible. Tom Waits to do Shakespeare. I’m just going to call it: the On the Road adaptation will suck. Getting around to reading everything Ralph Ellison is a task Troy Patterson at Slate is not up to. Daniel Nester gives tips for aspiring writers. Michael Schaub reviews Ten Walks/Two Talks by Jon Cotner and Andy Fitch at Bookslut. Check out our review of […]