Michael Janairo

Category: News

  • Quote of the day: Jane Smiley on writing porn

    The Complete Review links to an LA Times article written by Jane Smiley, whose new book “Ten Days in the Hills” — a novel about Hollywood — was recently released.

    From the LA Times:

    A FEW WEEKS before Christmas, I was talking to my mother about my new book. I said, “I’ll send you a copy, but I’ve got to tell you that there’s a lot of sex in it.”

    She was silent for a moment, then she said, “Did you do that for the money?”

    I was silent for a moment, and then I said, “Yes.”

    But I didn’t mean it. The truth is that I did it so I wouldn’t have to write about the Bush administration for 450 pages.

  • 2007 Albany Word Fest

    The Albany Poets Web site announces:

    In celebration of National Poetry Month, Albany Poets is proud to present the 2007 Albany Word Fest featuring the poetry, spoken word, music, and art of upstate New York. This year’s event will take place on Friday, April 20 and Saturday, April 21, 2007.

    The 2007 Albany Word Fest will start off on Friday night with a cocktail party at Tess’ Lark Tavern (453 Madison Ave.) at 5:00PM. This is a chance for all of the poets and performers to get together and talk with each other before the event begins. This is open to all. Must be 21 or older to drink.

    At 7:00PM, the poetry and spoken word begins at the Friday Night Open Mic at the UAG Gallery (247 Lark Street). We are hoping for this open mic to be our biggest and best yet. In previous years we have had over 50 poets perform at the open mic, this year we are hoping for twice that number. Poets who wish to participate in the open mic will be able to sign up online at http://www.albanywordfest.com starting on March 15. Performers will also be able to sign up at the event. Each poet will have three minutes to share their work. The open mic is open to all. Admission is based on donation.

    On Saturday afternoon, day two of the Albany Word Fest begins at Tess’ Lark Tavern for spoken word, music, and art with a special edition of Experimental Cabaret, starting at 3:00PM. This event, hosted by Nicole Peyrafette, will feature multi-media work from local poets and musicians. Performing at this event will be Mary Panza with Monica Roach and John Weiler, Mother Judge and Nicole Peyrafette, and Thom Francis with local musicians. This event is open to all. Admission is based on donation. Must be 21 or older to drink.

    At 8:00PM, we move to Valentines (17 New Scotland Ave.) for Psycho Cluster F*#k ’07, featuring music and spoken word from local acts to be announced. Admission for this event is $5.00. This event is 18+. Must be 21 or older to drink.

    The 2007 Albany Word Fest is sponsored by Albany Poets, Tess’ Lark Tavern, UAG Gallery, Valentines, and the very generous donations of supporters of the arts and artists of upstate New York.

  • All about the NYTimes Book Review

    The Elegant Variation has all the links you need about:

    Everything you ever wanted to know about the New York Times Book Review but were afraid to ask.

  • Professor Martin Amis

    From the Guardian:

    Manchester University will announce an academic coup: Amis has agreed to take up his first teaching role as its professor of creative writing, a decision that will bring the one-time enfant terrible of British literature, author of 11 novels, including Money and London Fields, firmly into the literary establishment.

    And a quote from the son of Kingsley Amis:

    “I may be acerbic in how I write but I’m not how I live. And I would find it very difficult to say cruel things to people in such a vulnerable position. I imagine I’ll be surprisingly sweet and gentle with them. One of the things I’ve learned about fiction – you really do lay yourself open in a way that no other so-called creative artist does. Most other art you’re just exhibiting a particular talent, even poetry up to a point, but by writing fiction you expose not only your talent but your whole being, your social, sexual and psychological being and you’re never more vulnerable than when you do that, and I’m well aware of that fact and will take it into account.”

    Read the story here.

  • Flights of Fantasy inventory reduction sale

    Eleanor at Flights of Fantasy, the Loudonville bookstore, has sent an e-mail saying that the book store has cut prices of all used books by 25 percent.

    The Web site, http://fof.net/, says:

    25% Off
    Inventory Reduction
    Sale

    Stop into the store during the month of February and get 25% off of All Used Paperbacks and minis from Warhammer Fantasy, Axis & Allies, Dream Blades, BattleTech, and GW Lord of the Rings.

  • Time for a new book review publication?

    There’s growing chatter online about this (which I first heard thanks to the Complete Review).

    This discussion is happening at the Open University:

    ENTHUSIASM FOR A NEW BOOK REVIEW:

    by Jeffrey Herf

    Thanks very much to Cass Sunstein, Steven Pinker, Eric Rauchway, Linda Hirshman, Richard Stern, and David Bell. I’m very glad to see their enthusiasm for the idea of a new book review. They offer a host of good practical suggestions and lessons from past efforts. The practicalities of a new publication are the most difficult issues. I hope our discussion will come to the attention of one of people with the will and the means to respond to the problem I described and that my Open University colleagues agree should be addressed.

  • $47,800 for “Grapes of Wrath”

    What would Tom Joad say about this?

  • Newbery medal scandal!

    …and a nice headline from mediabistro, at this link.

  • A lesson in writing ‘dirty’

    From the Boston Phoenix:

    Embarrassingly enough, my weakness for these sort of scenes led me to check out “The Joy of Learning To Write Sex Scenes” at Porter Square Books last Thursday night. The host, local author and Grub Street instructor Elizabeth Benedict, penned the classic resource, The Joy of Writing Sex: A Guide for Fiction Writers.

    And with a mention of Russell Banks:

    “Does anybody ever worry about what their husband or wife will think?” our host asked at one point. Head nods all around. “Ex-husband,” one woman called out. Benedict brought up the writer Russell Banks, whose mother skips over the dirty passages when reading his work. We’re told to give our loved ones the right to do that. Later Benedict remarked sternly that when writing “you have to silence those voices.” More head nods.