Look at Me, Putting On Airs!

Frank Sennett of The Spokesman Review starts up a new column called “Blogspotter” by taking a look at author blogs, and he got me to tell his readers that “the best author blogs turn visitors on to books by other folks as well.” Or, as the money quote puts it:

“The glimpses into other writers’ personal lives are fun, but the thing I like most about my favorite authors’ blogs is their willingness to celebrate OTHER authors that they admire… It’s not just about promoting themselves, but acknowledging that we’re all enthusiastic readers, and we’re all looking for the next awesome book to read.”

15 May 2006 | uncategorized |

Read This: The Dead Fish Museum

I’ve been dying to read Charles D’Ambrosio’s latest short story collection, The Dead Fish Museum, for about a year and a half, ever since another writer recommended him to me.

If you still need convincing, check out the Stranger review where each of the eight stories gets reviewed by a different writer, including contributions from Jonathan Lethem and Dale Peck. You should also dig into a profile of D’Ambrosio in the Williamette Week, in which we learn about the book he pulled from publication because he’d grown dissatisfied by it: “With a novel, you are just inside this one world and you are committed to it. And I’d never done it before, and I got kind of messed up and thought I had to go a certain way…. It really turned me around for awhile.” Well, now he’s back—don’t miss out.

15 May 2006 | read this |