TOBI'S DESK

The New York Times profiles   MacArthur Genius and National Book Award winner  Ta-Nehisi Coates as one of America’s foremost public intellectuals. His book We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy  (which we have been anticipating for months ) is released this Tuesday. The post Coates, A Public Intellectual appeared first on The Millions . from The Millions http://ift.tt/2hGcjUU

The 2016 election will never truly end, at least not in the literary world.  Buzzfeed noted that “a series of recent campaign books have enjoyed monster debuts, demonstrating a voracious reader appetite for behind-the-scenes looks at one of the most surprising elections in history”. And before you think this trend will end any time soon, Buzzfeed lists some up and coming titles that will be published later this year or sometime next year. “The success of campaign books come during a tough period for the publishing world, where industry sources have  described the difficulty of getting authors on television  or attracting media attention in a frenzied environment focused on Trump.” We’re all about the publishing industry doing well but this seems like a slightly unhealthy obsession for both readers and publishers. The post Let’s Relive the Election Through Books appeared first on The Millions . from The Millions http://ift.tt/2xJuywu

We’ve recommended   reading up on Jenny Zhang ‘s Sour Heart before, this interview in Hazlitt is one of our favorites. “And maybe this is crude to talk about, it’s not even that I don’t want to write a memoir. Beyond that, do you understand how vulnerable it makes someone to call something nonfiction? Not just emotionally vulnerable but financially vulnerable, do you realize someone that makes $40,000 a year cannot be hit by a lawsuit by some angry ex who objected about a chapter about him? Some guy sees one line about him, missing thousands of lines not about him. That’s why celebrities are the ones who write memoirs.” The post Non Fiction Takes A Certain Vulnerability appeared first on The Millions . from The Millions http://ift.tt/2yA6Fqo

As he knelt before the Altar Feeling like Judas Iscariot His thoughts wandering… His mind pondering… His head wondering… Immersed in reminiscences It came like vivid pictures Showing on a Cinema Screen All his promises resounding Reverberating in his head He tried to keep his pact She came unannounced to him Luscious and Seductive in … Continue reading Irresistible → from NaijaStories.com http://ift.tt/2x4bYNq

I was fourteen and I had just gotten into Senior Secondary School, the first time a man told me I was beautiful. I was ecstatic; nothing else mattered in the world. I began to make efforts to make myself look more beautiful for him. I remember using excessive amount of white powder on my face … Continue reading Yet Another Date → from NaijaStories.com http://ift.tt/2xEcbLQ

From The Paper-Flower Tree by Jacqueline Ayer. The Paper-Flower Tree is a tale from Thailand for children, but I bought it for my adult self last month. A young girl without much to her name encounters a peddler. The man doesn’t have too much either, but he does have a tree of mesmerizing paper flowers. The man plucks her a “seed” to plant so that she can grow her own paper-flower tree. The girl tends to it, but it doesn’t grow. When the paper-flower man reappears with a group of actors, she confronts him. He reminds her that he never promised it would grow. But as this is a children’s book, and happy endings are required, the girl wakes up the next morning to find a fully flowering tree. To an adult, or the kind of cynical child who knew early on there was no Santa, the story is about the ways in which magic is a pact between adults, children, and a suspension of disbelief. The book is also a testament to the graceful talents of the author, Jacqueline Ayer. The child of ...

Today, I wrote a friend for advice about packing. I’ll be going from Virginia to Nashville to New York City, after which I’ll be flying to Rome for three weeks. My friend mentioned that his wife takes up more than her share of their suitcase, because she believes men don’t need as many clothes. I wouldn’t consider sharing a suitcase with my husband. It’s disappointing enough to see your Jockey sports bra in another country—it looks so sad in hotel rooms abroad (bad pun!). How much sadder, then, to find it entangled amid chargers, extension cords, computer cords, unwound dental floss (how would I know how that happened? Big hello, though, to my dental hygienist), earphones, noise-canceling headphones, dangling cords, and bungee cords (you never can tell). I’d be hugely foiled trying to extract my underwear. Who wants to deal with a bunch of cords doing the kudzu around a bra when Caravaggio beckons? Though it seems to be common knowledge, I just discovered that it’s best to roll e...

In St. Petersburg, Russia in the 1830s, peasant-style was fashionable, literature was becoming more democratic and, somewhat weirdly, the poet of human baseness, Nikolai Gogol was producing some of the best food writing to be found in the Russian canon. His eerie and baroque first collection of short stories, Village Evenings Near Dikanka is a series of narrations by a bee-keeper to the folks gathered in his cottage at night as they’re served snacks: “Delicious beyond description!…Pies you couldn’t imagine in your wildest dreams: they melt in your mouth! And the butter—it just runs down your lips when you bite into them.” Every time I read Gogol, I want to cook like the Ukrainian housewives in his stories . In this post, I try to recreate a spread from this 1959 edition of Gogol’s collected works. The story “Old World Landowners” is about “solitary owners of a remote village” who are “delightful in their simplicity,” but who are revealed to be lazy and ineffectual managers of t...

1. The copy center guy authored a children’s book.  I just found that out. Alex came over to drop off whatever documents I’d sent along for duplication and saw me working on a poem on my computer screen. “You’re a poet?” he asked. “Oh, y’know—I dip and dabble,” I replied.  Sometimes it’s best to keep the artistic pursuits and the day job separate, for the sake of sanity, and boundary. The next day, Alex brought in a copy of his children’s book and gave it to me gratis.  It was the story of a boy from Jamaica who moved to New York when he was six years old. “Write what you know, huh?” I said, stopping by the copy center later in the day to pay my compliments. “Pretty much,” he laughed. We’re still simply work colleagues—no real friendship has bloomed, or at least not yet—but there’s something charged to our exchanges now.  A solidarity.  A comradeship. 2. I’ll admit I thought this was all going to be a lot different—my life, I mean, in both its shape and...

The next day Ugochi was in the office when Ijay’s call came through. She debated telling her about the happenings of last night for just a moment before making her decision. The matter was weighing so much on her mind, she needed to confide in someone. “Hey girl,” she said into the receiver. “How are … Continue reading Love Beyond Reason 4 → from NaijaStories.com http://ift.tt/2yd0AUD

Femi was shocked. Chief Okafor had not only been a cruel man but was, in reality, a wolf in sheep’s clothing: a chameleon. “Did you report to the police about the murder?” He asked as she bent her head to the right and fixed her tear-filled eyes on Femi. “I couldn’t” “He threatened you? You … Continue reading Kismet 13 → from NaijaStories.com http://ift.tt/2xPCvlL

Art Spiegelman for Playboy, circa 1979 In the late seventies and early eighties, I was a proud contributor to Playboy Funnies , an ongoing section in Playboy that tried to recuperate underground comix: they sanitized the movement while also acknowledging it. Hefner had once aspired to become a cartoonist and had an eye for the form. Tho as he once said in an interview—I’m paraphrasing—“I see how cartoonists live and how I live and I have no regrets.” I first convinced my clueless refugee parents to subscribe to the magazine when I was fourteen—“so I could study the cartoons.” A couple years later my father and I had a “heart to heart” talk. He told me I’d have to take the centerfolds off my wall since my mother was too embarrassed to come in and clean my room.  The zeitgeist has changed many times since then, and current gender and identity politics may make it hard to remember that Hefner was a force for good—consistently defending progressive causes, a champion o...

To mark the passing of Hugh Hefner , we take a moment to remember when George Plimpton, a founding editor of The Paris Review , appeared on the television show  Playboy After Dark  in 1968 and was deemed “very successful with the ladies” by Hef himself.   Clips courtesy the 2012 documentary Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton as Himself . (The title card that reads “ TWO MONTHS LATER ” is less confusing when the documentary is viewed in full.) from The Paris Review http://ift.tt/2x01kfP

Book Launch: And After Many Days by Jowhor Ile 14:30-15:30, Saturday 7 October 2017 Conference Space at Hamilton House, 80 Stokes Croft, BS1 3QY Jowhor Ile in conversation with Edwige-Renée Dro During the rainy season of 1995, in the bustling town of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, one family’s life is disrupted by the sudden disappearance of seventeen-year-old Paul Utu, beloved brother and son. As they grapple with the sudden loss of their darling boy, they embark on a painful and moving journey of immense power which changes their lives forever and shatters the fragile ecosystem of their once ordered family. Jowhor Ile discusses his critically acclaimed and award-winning debut novel with Etisalat Prize judge Edwige-Renée Dro. In partnership with Spike Island’s Novel Writers Series Part of Africa Writes Pop-Up: Bristol – the festival presenting an exciting series of events celebrating contemporary African literature and thought, 6-7 October. With book launches, film screenings, disc...

Producing New Books and Readers: Literary Activism in 21 st Century Africa 16:00 – 17:30, Saturday 7 October 2017 Conference Space at Hamilton House, 80 Stokes Croft, BS1 3QY Speakers: Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, Edwige Dro & Henry Brefo Chair: Madhu Krishnan The 21 st century has seen the rise of a myriad of new literary initiatives on the African continent, from literary festivals to new writing prizes, publishing and translation initiatives to innovative book distribution outlets, podcasting to small magazines. This panel brings together literary producers involved in founding and directing influential new initiatives to discuss the agendas, structures and networks that enable the production and circulation of literature in Africa.  What innovative modes of literary activism and engagement has the 21 st century enabled and how do self-defined literary activists conceive of their role in contemporary Africa? In partnership with the Centre for African Cultural Excellence & U...

Cities and Watering Holes: An Evening of Spoken Word & Music Saturday 7 October, 11:00 – 12:00 Event Space, Hamilton House, 80 Stokes Croft, BS1 3QY Hosted by Numbi Arts & Ujima Radio , Part of NumbiFest Cross-Currents 2017 With Elmi Ali, Edson Burton, My Song for Burundi anthology (published by Huza Press) open mic & more. Ujima Radio Djs spinning afrobeats, funk, house and afro-influenced sounds from across the world. Tickets £5: bit.ly/AW2017Cities Part of Africa Writes Pop-Up: Bristol – the festival presenting an exciting series of events celebrating contemporary African literature and thought, 6-7 October. With book launches, film screenings, discussions, family activities, workshops, and a poetry night, the festival brings you a vibrant programme showcasing the best new writing from the continent and the diaspora. from Africa Writes http://ift.tt/2xzLvM8

Creative Writing Workshop with Numbi Arts 11:00 – 14:00 Saturday 7 October, Mild West Room at Hamilton House, 80 Stokes Croft, BS1 3QY – Do you have a story to tell about your local neighbourhood? – Are you interested in developing your creative writing skills? – Would you like the chance to hear from experienced writers and poets on how to transform an idea into a piece of writing? Then join us for this interactive writing workshop, where we explore ideas about the local and the global. By looking at local neighbourhoods, we discover ways to create stories from the connections that arise between our local and global networks. You will be presented with a series of writing exercises and will have a chance to receive guidance and direct feedback from the workshop facilitator and celebrated poet Elmi Ali . This workshop is open to all ages and writing experiences, and will be delivered in both English and Somali. You will also have the opportunity to perform your work at the ‘Citi...

Literary Activism and Arts Management Workshop Africa Writes Bristol 11.30 to 14:00, Saturday 7 October Hamilton House, 80 Stokes Croft, BS1 3QY Have you set up or are you thinking of setting up an online magazine or producing an arts event? Would you like to exchange ideas and practical advice on how to successfully position and sustain a new cultural or creative initiative? This workshop is designed for aspiring, early career and established creatives, literary activists and arts managers interested in sharing experiences and building best practice. The workshop will focus in particular on: Setting up and running an online literary magazine Producing literary events It includes presentations from successful practitioners including Edwige-Renée Dro ( Abidjan Lit ), Henry Brefo ( Writivism ) and Zahrah Nesbitt-Ahmed ( Bookshy ), as well as the opportunity for Q&A sessions with these established literary activists, and time to discuss and develop your own ideas and plans...

For some young artists trying to make it, starving is a rite of passage; for others, it is a permanent state of dedication, or a financial necessity. No matter the reasons, the starving artist is a timeless figure, present in every era of every society, socialist or capitalist, boom or bust. But the starving artist of New York in the seventies and eighties holds a special place in the cultural imagination. On Sunday, I cleaved my way through the sweaty, contemporary crowds at the New York Art Book Fair, hosted at MoMA PS1, to see an exhibition of “ Food Sex Art : The Starving Artist’s Cookbook Archive 1986–1991.” The cookbook was put together between 1986 and 1991 by EIDIA , an artist duo of Paul Lamarre and Melissa Wolf. EIDIA , comes from the Greek eidos , for “kind, ” and is intended as an acronym for, among other things, “Everything I Do Is Art” and “Every Individual Does Individual Art.” The cookbook—a thick stack of typewritten pages bound with three rings—had an original prin...

Have a question for Lynda Barry ?  Email  us. A self-portrait by Lynda Barry. Dear Lynda,  The other afternoon, I received a text message from a number I didn’t recognize. The sender asked to confirm my address, which I did, and then said there would be a “special delivery” for me, “arriving soon.” It was exciting to think I had a secret admirer, but in the end, nothing came. Since, I’ve tried googling the number, but it’s yielded no results; the area code is from Pittsburgh, and I don’t know anyone from there. Now I’m just curious who it is and what they sent. I feel a little tossed around and it’s making me angry to think I’m being taunted. Should I escalate this anonymous relationship and pressure the sender for answers, or just chalk it up to the many displeasures of the Internet age and let it be?    Thanks in advance, Bemused in Brooklyn    Dear Bemused, I’m at a loss here, so I’ve consulted a creature my friend Danny Ceballos knows, cal...

Bill Goldstein and I met in the spring of 2014 at Ucross , an artists’ retreat in Wyoming. Our studios were actually quite far from each other but we became fast friends in part because we shared the same work schedule: every morning we’d meet in the quiet kitchen for a pre-dawn breakfast, both of us eager to get to our desks before procrastination could claim the day. A lot of the time we joked around; my coffee was always sludgy with grounds, Bill said, and I would remark on his debonair bathrobe-and-pajamas combo. Other times we talked novels. Bill not only hosts a segment about books on NBC’s Weekend Today in New York, he also went back to school a few years ago to get a PhD in literature, and we’d often sit for longer than planned chatting about Edith Wharton or a contemporary novel we loved. Sometimes we would discuss our works in progress. While I was wrestling with my second novel, Bill was writing a literary history of 1922, specifically, the creative and personal lives of...

Adaeze was frightened due to the ‘huge python dance’ that would happen in Owerri soon. She was afraid because she thought that that which happened in Aba might happen in Owerri – how the huge python had multitude for meal. So she slowly let her lacrimal pour out tears, which crawled down her cheeks. Emotional … Continue reading Python Dance → from NaijaStories.com http://ift.tt/2xHsve3

Soon she will walk through that door The sunlight will accompany her its rays will dance about the lines of her dress Her eyes will beguile me soft, brown; incandescent with heat Roses at her feet. My love will peak rising with every tide of her feet.   Before today I have asked myself Questions; … Continue reading At The Steps → from NaijaStories.com http://ift.tt/2xMOJfc

The cover of  Littérature from May 10, 1923. Littérature , founded in 1919 by André Breton, Philippe Soupault, and Louis Aragon, was couched as an innocent literary journal, but it was known for its avant-garde writings and critiques. In March 1922, André Breton launched Littérature: New Series. He asked his friend, the shape-shifting artist Francis Picabia, to create drawings for the covers. Ultimately, only nine of Picabia’s twenty-six covers were chosen and published. The rest remained in an envelope dated August 8, 1923. They were unseen by the wider public until 2008, when they were presented by Breton’s daughter, Aube Breton-Elléouët, at the Galerie 1900-2000, in Paris. In an essay accompanying exhibition, “In Praise of the ‘Funny Guy,’ Inventor of Pop Art,” Jean-Jacques Lebel argued that these cover illustrations foreshadowed Pop Art. He credited Picabia with “the transformation of a commercial strategy into a subversive artistic practice.” Picabia’s work provided...