It’s Friday, so take a break with The Nervous Breakdown, adjust your holiday gift lists with another recommendation list, and discover which crime writer specializes in murder in your area. Enjoy!
Montana: Which crime writer "owns" the big sky country?
- There are a lot of literary websites online, but The Nervous Breakdown is a unique blend of community, blog, and literary magazine. Developed by author Mark Listi to promote his new book in 2006, the website grew into a meeting place for publishing writers and began to feature blog posts and nonfiction. Today the site is transitioning into a full-fledged online lit mag complete with fiction and poetry, and Jacket Copy interviews Listi about the changes. While much of the website is written by regular contributors, the poetry and fiction selections are chosen from submissions, offering writers another legitimate online publishing option.
- For all the independent bookstore devotees out there, NPR features “Top Picks From Indie Booksellers” to guide your holiday reading/shopping. True to the indie spirit, the list isn’t simply a regurgitation of the year’s bestseller lists, and the bookseller making the suggestions includes a diverse mix of fifteen titles. From Chris Cleave to Raymond Carver to Wallace Stevens, the list is unpredictable and intriguing, with Colum McCann and Hilary Mantel noticeably absent.
- In an entertaining nod to crime novels, the Guardian gives us a top ten list of “U.S. crime novelists who ‘own’ their territory.” The list, composed by author C.J. Box, mentions ten cities and the crime writers that “own” them. You could probably guess that George Pelecanos is the Washington, D.C. pick, and Michael Connelly runs L.A., but what about Montana, Louisiana, and New Mexico? Check out the list to discover the authors and regions you’re neglecting.
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