Tony Judt, 1948 - 2010
Today’s news honors historian and author Tony Judt, taps into a debate about today’s most overrated writers, and glimpses the budget crises affecting libraries around the country.
- Tony Judt, scholar, history professor, and author of Postwar, died Friday at the age of 62 from Lou Gehrig’s disease. Judt was regarded as one of today’s great political writers, and his critically-acclaimed Postwar, published in 2005, wove together the major events in postwar Europe into an engaging narrative. Judt is remembered in the Guardian, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, and Omnivoracious.
- In a recent Huffington Post article, author and poet Anis Shivani lists the writers he believes are “The 15 Most Overrated Contemporary American Writers.” Literary golden boys like Michael Chabon and Jonathan Safran Foer make the list, as do 13 other big names. Shivani’s list is amusing, if a bit vitriolic, and it’s causing quite a buzz in the blog world. The Guardian gives its take on the list, and PWxyz responds by calling attention to today’s most underrated writers.
- Among severe budget cuts, the library system in Camden, New Jersey, announced last week that it planned to close all three of its branches. The closures would have severely affected the population, especially those that rely on the library internet to apply for jobs, but now the branches may be saved by joining with the county system. Jacket Copy has more on the Camden situation and library budget cuts nationwide.
*************
Want to know more about us? Check out “What is Books & Authors and Why Should You Care
