In an article, Lander attributes his success to passion, being Canadian, and outrageous luck
National Book Award finalists, stuff white people like, and a “masochistic” author that does stand up – it’s the perfect mix of Friday randomness. Enjoy!
- This week the National Book Award finalists were announced, with five nominees listed in each of four categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young people’s literature. Publishers Weekly, The Millions, and Jacket Copy provide coverage of the finalists, including excerpts, summaries, and commentary. Finalists receiving a lot of buzz include fiction’s Colum McCann for Let the Great World Spin and poetry’s Carl Phillips for Speak Low. Notably absent from the list were Thomas Pynchon, Richard Russo, and Lorrie Moore. You have until November 18th to read them all and guess the winner!
- Christian Lander, author of blog-turned-bestseller The Stuff White People Like, shares his advice for becoming accidentally famous in the Guardian. Lander’s blog began as an instant message conversation with a friend, where the first white people activities they thought of were “going to therapy, watching plays, doing yoga and getting divorced.” And it just got funnier from there. The site includes a book excerpt in addition to Lander’s success fairytale.
- Sherman Alexie should be lauded as an example for all multi-taskers – he writes poems, short stories, screenplays, documentaries, and adult and Y.A. novels, all while remembering to smile (necessary for his stand up comedy routines). He sat down with the Los Angeles Times to discuss his work and writing method, which he admits calls “sort of masochistic.” But don’t worry – he doesn’t “put on a leather thing with a zip at the mouth,” or anything.
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