Daily Lit Links for 6/23
Today we have news involving popular authors Dave Eggers, David Foster Wallace, Janet Evanovich, and Stephen King. Highlights include a book covered with fur and common sense advice about text messaging. Details below…
David Foster Wallace
- Nearly a year after the author’s suicide, Viking has signed on to publish David Foster Wallace’s biography. Journalist D.T. Max, who published an article about Wallace in the March 2009 issue of The New Yorker, will write the biography “in the form of an argument,” feeling that “a conventional 500-page type thing, one of those big, thick biographies” wouldn’t effectively capture Wallace’s spirit. Those interested in Wallace’s unique philosophical and moral influences will no doubt snatch up the biography, eager to glimpse inside the life of one of the most heralded authors of the last 100 years. The Guardian has more information about D.T. Max, the biography, and Wallace himself.
- Dave Eggers has never been one to spend all day alone at his computer, but at the moment he’s involved in so many projects it’s hard to believe he sleeps. His fans probably couldn’t be happier, with his movie Away We Go out in theaters, a Where the Wild Things Are adaptation coming soon, and a novel releasing this fall. And McSweeney’s isn’t just publishing a new Where the Wild Things Are, they’re offering two editions - with or without fur. For a full list of Eggers’ projects and links with information on each, check out the NY Times Paper Cuts blog.
- In a review of Janet Evanovich’s newest Stephanie Plum novel, Finger Lickin’ Fifteen (out today), the Oklahoman says fans of the series “will savor the familiar flavor but not the past-the-expiration-date aftertaste” of this latest adventure. The review follows up on this sweet-as-spoiled-milk analysis by conceding that the book ” offers a breezy summer read with just enough wackiness and mystery to keep fans entertained.” Basically, the fifteenth novel doesn’t stray far from the model Evanovich has used for the past fourteen, so die-hard fans probably won’t mind. However, if you didn’t really like thirteen and fourteen, don’t spend your money on fifteen.
- It turns out texting people that the “next call you take may be your last” isn’t a good idea, especially if you’re a major publishing house. Quill & Quire reports that Simon & Schuster sent texts such as this to thousands of unsuspecting people to promote Stephen King’s The Cell, and one angry mother (whose son received the text above) brought the issue to court. The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that the texts were a violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which could cost the company $90 million - no small change for the suffering publishing industry. So next time, think before you text, especially if there’s a death threat involved.
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