Daily Lit Links for 5/26
Jeremy's spoken all right...
Smear campaigns and violent crayon drawings - what has the literary world come to? Below is the latest on the Oxford professor of poetry drama, Facebook’s possible effect on literature, and violence in picture books. If contraversy’s not for you, we have the NY Times review of Simon Schama’s The American Future: A History.
- Now gossip isn’t limited to Hollywood celebs and reality stars - it’s struck the poetry world as well. Ruth Padel, the first female chair of Oxford’s poetry department, resigned from the post Monday following accusations of a smear campaign against rival Derek Walcott. Walcott stepped out of the running May 12th after allegations of past sexual harassment found their way into the media, some say with the help of Padel. The literary community is saddened by Padel’s resignation, and many believe sexism played a part. For a full report, see the Guardian’s piece.
- You don’t often hear that children’s entertainment is lacking violence, but that is precisely what author Ted Dewan thinks is missing from today’s children’s books. Quill & Quire tells us that his upcoming book One True Bear “will include pictures, drawn by children, of images ‘that don’t get put up on the fridge.’” The violent pictures form the background for a story about a selfless bear that saves a boy from his violent tendencies. At the very least, the book should convince parents that their sons aren’t the only ones drawing machete-wielding stick figures.
- Today’s authors are expected to be active online, shamelessly self-promoting and collecting Facebook friends left and right. But will this exposure make them more hesitant to write from their own experience? This LA Times piece by writer Rich Cohen asks whether today’s writers can truly examine and draw from their past while still receiving status updates from high school sweethearts. Complete with hypothetical Facebook messages to Ernest Hemingway (from offended old friends), the article is worth a look.
- The NY Times Book Review on Sunday covered Simon Schama’s latest buzz-maker, The American Future: A History. Reviewer David Brooks calls Schama a great historian but finds the commentary on today’s America less impressive. The review itself is satiric and entertaining, highlighting the pitfalls of all “spirit of America” books. While history buffs will likely enjoy the book, you may want to read the full review before spending that $29.99.
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