Store favorite Simon Van Booy, author of the lovely story collections The Secret Lives of People in LoveandLove Begins in Winter, has tried his hand at a Lapham's-esque threesome of books on existential questions. These books (only ten bucks each!) draw excerpts from a broad wealth of sources. Furnished with Van Booy's own erudite introductions and discussions, they make a convincing argument for the continued validity of the examined life. Simon will be here to make the case in person, and to engage in a discussion on these titular issues and more with our audience.
News of Note
Staff Picks
Noon
Written by Sam
(Noon, Inc., $12.00)
How had I not even heard of Noon before this issue? I'm not sure. There's so much to like here. Deb Olin Unferth is doing her usual poignant weirdness. Ditto lit it-kid Tao Lin. Also not worth missing: Rebecca Curtis' "On Rape," Christine Schutt's "Hair of the Dog," and Gary Lutz's "I Have to be Halved," a great little story in thirty-three parts. Gems abound throughout the issue. A new favorite.
The Forever War
Written by Cheryl
by Dexter Filkins (Random House, $25.00)
Dexter Filkins' sensitive and hair-raising reporting of the fighting on the front lines of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will stop time and take your breath away. The tangled webs of ancient tribal rivalries and modern political power struggles are slowly unraveled and brought to life with heartbreaking immediacy. This is what reporting should be all about.
Enduring Love
Written by David
by Ian McEwan (Anchor Books, $13.95)
There are not many writers that I'll read no matter what, but if Ian McEwan has a new book out, you can bet I've read it. He is a great writer and every one of his novels has been a pleasure to read. If you've only read Atonement and the books he's written since then, you should try Enduring Love. It's replete with his trademark creepiness and begins with the most unforgettable opening of any book I've ever read.
Dexter Filkins' sensitive and hair-raising reporting of the fighting on the front lines of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will stop time and take your breath away. The tangled webs of ancient tribal rivalries and modern political power struggles are slowly unraveled and brought to life with heartbreaking immediacy. This is what reporting should be all about.
There are not many writers that I'll read no matter what, but if Ian McEwan has a new book out, you can bet I've read it. He is a great writer and every one of his novels has been a pleasure to read. If you've only read Atonement and the books he's written since then, you should try Enduring Love. It's replete with his trademark creepiness and begins with the most unforgettable opening of any book I've ever read.