Books
Fear Emerges in the Mundane in Chaon’s Nightmarish Latest
“Actually, if you look closely, our ghosts are fluttering everywhere, dispersed and dispersing,” writes Dan Chaon in “Stay Awake,” an impressive and unsettling new collection of short stories. In this book, an atmospheric ode to all things disturbing, Chaon flits between the gruesome and the depressing and lingers just long enough on each story to fully realize its creepy environment.
Penney Explores Marginalized Culture in ‘The Invisible Ones’
In Scottish writer Stef Penney’s latest novel “The Invisible Ones,” Leon Wood, a Gypsy, wants to investigate his daughter Rose’s disappearance but will only place his trust in a fellow Gypsy. Enter Ray Lovell, a half-Romani private investigator who assimilated years ago into “gorjio,” or non-Gypsy, society. He soon sets off to figure out exactly how and why Rose disappeared.
Portrait of an Artist: Tom Perrotta
Writer Tom Perrotta talks with us about his numerous novels and feature film adaptations
Authors Examine Gender Roles in Children's Literature
Four authors and scholars examined gender roles and stereotypes in children’s and young adult literature at a Women’s Week 2012 event on Monday.
‘Varamo’ Vividly Explores the Inspiration Behind Creativity
“Varamo,” by César Aira, is a testimony to the fact that the backstory behind a seemingly fantastical myth is always worth exploring. Over the course of the novella, Aira narrates the story of the inspiration behind an ordinary man’s impressive literary debut.
