From The New York Observer, Gillian Reagan on how his book deal ruined his life: Taxes, weight gain, depression, loneliness—book advances are like lottery payoffs; and for four days, booksellers, book lovers, book publishers and book grabbers descended on New York to... what? Meet God, check out wildlife, spy shrunken heads and otherwise distract themselves from their struggling industry. A look at how right-wing publishing struggles to find its political voice. Without credential except a high school diploma and courage, Cindy Brown Austin became a byline known to many readers. One of the the week's best invented words: "Foxymoron".
From PopMatters, a review of At the Same Time: Essays and Speeches by Susan Sontag. A review of The Gravedigger's Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates. Oprah Winfrey got Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy to do the one thing he hates most: talk about his work, but He's No Salinger.
From The Walrus, An American Type of Sadness: A review of Oblivion and Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace; The Discomfort Zone by Jonathan Franzen; The Diviners by Rick Moody; and The Disappointment Artist by Jonathan Lethem.
From Boston Review, a review of Peter Gizzi's The Outernationale; a review of Carol Frost's The Queen's Desertion; and a review of Tomas Tranströmer’s The Great Enigma Katie Peterson.
From Arts & Opinion, an article on the Art of Raka B. Saha: Her still life is more compelling than real life — in colours mixed with moon and monsoon; and an article on the Art of Purvis Young: He hails from the down but never out of Miami. "I work to support my habit and my habit is painting," says Urban Expressionism's powerful new truthsayer.
From Slate, a slide show essay on Richard Serra, the sculptor who reinvented space. Art to the rescue: The "Art goes Heiligendamm" G8 exhibition deals with irony, utopia and overcoming borders. A review of Hogarth, France and British Art by Robin Simon and Hogarth by Mark Hallett and Christine Riding. Bohemian Breaks: A set of "cultural economy" tax credits could help New Orleans realize a number of its development goals, from arts and architecture to entertainment and culinary delights.
From TLS, a review of Good Bread is Back: A contemporary history of French bread, the way it is made, and the people who make it by Steven Laurence Kaplan. An interview with Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma. Diet and Genetics: If protein, fat, and carbs are bad, what do you eat? When Teflon-coated pans were first introduced, they practically sold themselves. Two generations later, we are once again learning that better living through chemistry often carries a hidden price.
