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If you are prepared to take a hard punch in your gut, and like brave, acute, elated, naked, brutal, tender, humane, and beautiful prose, then you’ve come to the right place.
—
Nicole Krauss, author of The History of Love, reviewing André Aciman’s Harvard Square
(via livefromthenypl)
On April 22 at NYPL, the two authors will discuss the themes that haunt them both: identity, exile, fiction, and memory
‘That Smell” was Ibrahim’s first book. He’s written many others, but none as powerful, or as prophetic… In Robyn Creswell’s new translation, “That Smell” seems not so much written as secreted; it leaves you feeling tense and clammy, as it must have done when it was first published.
— Adam Shatz discussing Robyn Creswell’s translation of Sonallah Ibrahim’s first book “That Smell” in this week’s London Review of Books. Join us Monday as both author and reviewer discuss the tension of Sonallah Ibrahim’s work.
The Young Lions gave out their annual Fiction Award last night. The big winner - Karen Russell, for her novel Swamplandia!. Karen wasn’t able to be there in person to accept her award (she’s on a fellowship in Berlin), but her brother accepted it on her behalf with a hilarious speech.
Pictured above (l-r):Sloane Crosley, Ben Lerner, Teju Cole, NYPL President Anthony Marx, Benjamin Hale, Billy Crudup.
Sloane and Billy were gracious readers, giving us a taste of each nominated novel by reading the opening paragraphs aloud. Teju, Ben, and Benjamin were the other Fiction Award nominees, along with Jesmyn Ward, who also couldn’t make the event.
Congrats to Karen!
Photo by Jonathan Blanc
We can’t wait to welcome them all this Fall! Congratulations to the class of ‘13.
(in alphabetical order)
Join us this Sunday!
Join Alexander McCall Smith at the Schomburg Center on April 15, 2012—for his ONLY Manhattan appearance—to discuss his new book, The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection.
Tickets are still available: http://www.showclix.com/event/223525
That’s “Mustache Monday” in French, in honor of this week’s subject, Gustave Flaubert! Do yourself a favor and check out a copy of Madame Bovary, newly translated by Lydia Davis. Beautifully written, beautifully translated, and - surprisingly - a real page turner. Always a good idea to start your year with a book you can’t put down.
We interrupt our regularly scheduled program to bring you the latest news about Karen Russell, 2009 Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers Fellow…
Karen’s critically acclaimed novel Swamplandia (which can be found at the Library) was just selected as a best book of 2011 by the New York Times! Swamplandia has been making the rounds of late and is in development to become an HBO Comedy project.
You can hear Karen discuss the creation of her novel with another immensely talented author, Wells Tower, during her visit to the Library last March at an event hosted by the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers. (Wells Tower will be appearing at the Library with John Jeremiah Sullivan on December 15 - check that out too!)
If you missed it, here’s your chance to watch last week’s discussion with Salon.com co-founder Laura Miller and Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Egan about her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel A Visit from the Goon Squad at the Pulitzer Prize-loving New York Public Library. (We do get excited about the Pulitzer Prize!)
(This event was brought to you by LIVE from the NYPL and Conversations from the Cullman Center, check out the events they have coming up!)
