During the first ten minutes of Tár, it is possible to feel that the critic Adam Gopnik is a better actor than Cate Blanchett. They sit together on a New Yorker Festival stage. Gopnik, playing himself, is a relaxed and fluid interviewer. His interviewee, the (fictional) conductor Lydia Tár, is stiff and self-conscious—actorly, even. As […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/01/19/the-instrumentalist-tar-todd-field-zadie-smith/
The title of James Hannaham’s new novel is at once a potential deterrent to fainthearted readers and a bold declaration of its author’s unwavering fidelity to his heroine’s forceful voice, her highly energized inner life. If Carlotta Mercedes—a Black and Colombian trans woman—could turn her personal history into “a Lifetime TV miniseries event,” Didn’t Nobody […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/01/19/carlottas-brooklyn-james-hannaham/
In the introduction to her now classic Pleasure of Ruins (1953), the British writer Rose Macaulay conceives multiple reasons for the complex pleasure we take in decay, from the imaginary reconstruction of a ruin to the “masochistic joy” in common destruction. Nearly seventy years later the American literary critic Susan Stewart, in The Ruins Lesson, […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/01/19/remainders-shadowlands-mudlarkd/
“Yesterday, the gigantic rocks of Montserrat glowing red in the distance…”; “four days ago, I was looking at the great glow outspread in the night sky over Berlin…”; “the vast deserted square, bathed in a strange, extremely pale blue dawn glow…”; “a great red glow from the tumultuous squares…”; “the Popo puts me in mind […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/01/19/the-faces-of-victor-serge-ben-lerner/
Having won the Solzhenitsyn Prize, the Big Book prize, and the Yasnaya Polyana Literary Award, as well as having been short-listed for the National Bestseller Prize and the Russian Booker Prize, Eugene Vodolazkin has emerged in the eyes of many as the most important living Russian writer. A literary scholar as well as a novelist—or, […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/01/19/living-outside-of-time-brisbane-eugene-vodolazkin/
Colin the Crab Gets Married follows two crabs who want to get married and start a frenzy among their friends who try to help. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Colin the Crab and his friends form a kind of village community. The life of Colin and other underwater and riverside residents is, in many ways, very human and resembles the events of real life. Of course, the stream and its banks contribute to the adventures of the characters in these books.
My children’s books about Colin the Crab reflect observations of how various human communities function. Life in a small country village, the experiences of working life, and the interaction of people in a large family create an endless treasure chest of ideas. Specific settings and action patterns are often repeated, even when the scene changes.
If I think about the inspiration for this particular book in the Colin the Crab Series, it started from the experiences of many acquaintances. Fortunately, my husband and I were able to organize a wedding that looked like ours and suited us, but I’ve heard about other kinds of experiences as well.
What was your favorite scene in the book to create?
In this book about Colin and Clara’s wedding, I was able to use the situations faced by many of my acquaintances. Large family celebrations are typically occasions where opinions and expectations collide.
When arranging weddings, the previous generation often relives their personal memories, while the young couple’s perception of their dream wedding can be completely different. Will the result be a modest ceremony in the family circle or a big event full of exciting programs in richly decorated ballrooms?
I had a lot of fun writing the various conflicts related to wedding preparations. Old Mrs. Monkfish’s well-intentioned attempt to arrange a big orchestra to play outstanding music almost leads to complete disaster. The wedding couple preferred the delicate singing of the little fish’s choir, but Mrs. Monkfish arranged a big orchestra to entertain the guests. The wishes of the lizard family were to turn the party environment almost into a children’s amusement park, even though Colin and Clara wanted a peaceful party.
One scene that made me smile was the wedding dress conflict. In it, friend Stella the Starfish pressures the bride about the wedding dress. However, the gorgeous outfit from the luxury boutique turns out to be Stella’s own dream dress, not that of the modest bride.
It was fun to imagine a scene with two very different female characters. Of these, Stella often represents extreme vanity and selfishness. Sometimes I’m angry with her, but in this episode, I smile because Stella fails to subdue the bride’s will. The shy crab girl keeps her head and wears her mother’s old dress as planned. Ultimately, the fine costume ends up on Stella the Starfish herself, for whose many arms and legs the gorgeous outfit fits perfectly.
Do you provide educational resources for parents on how to integrate your books into a lesson plan?
I have written many books that could be considered educational or related to parenting and family life.
When I write these books, I don’t really think about making other people act on the teachings of my books. I just let the story fly! Books born from my experiences and honest thinking just bring some practically tested behavior for the readers to consider. Of course, I wish the stories make an impact, maybe even influence people’s judgment. However, only when they believe it is valuable and essential.
I have met teachers and parents who have come across my books and noticed how they could use them as educational aids. Then they usually act just as I would recommend, i.e., read together and discuss the topics. Colin and his friends have also inspired drama groups, where it is possible through role-playing to learn how to interact with others.
I consider it important that parents and educators read together with children even after the little ones have already learned to read. Then it is possible to discuss the story and its lessons with the child. An adult can immediately notice which elements are interesting, challenging, or maybe too scary for the young ones. Even for an older child, talking with an adult about the topics they read can be helpful.
I also write articles and give interviews and presentations about the ideas behind my books. This way, I can also tell adults about the backgrounds of my stories, and they will pass the message on to improve children’s reading experience. So, my influence takes place on two levels – in children and the adults around them.
In any case, my ultimate goal is that important messages are conveyed and that they help change the lives of families for the better.
Do you have more books planned that feature Colin the Crab?
Colin the Crab is a special character for me. I have already written four illustrated children’s books about him with longer stories: The Caring Crab, Colin the Crab Finds a Treasure, Colin the Crab Falls in Love, and Colin the Grab Gets Married.
In addition, I have two shorter stories with simpler illustrations aimed at younger children in the Mini-Crab Series. All these books have become popular among readers – teachers and parents, too!
Colin the Crab Series consists of independent stories which can be read separately. In the series’s background is the “big story,” the common thread of Colin’s life, progressing from one phase to another.
In this fourth book, Colin has finally found a spouse to live in his cozy house at the river. Living together naturally has its challenges. Personalities must get used to each other and adjust their habits, which gives me ideas for more books with fun adventures.
Soon, we can probably be excited about whether Colin and Clara will have offspring. Everything is not always straightforward, and life’s challenges are solved with the help of friends. But I can promise that neither Colin nor his spouse will give up their own dreams and wishes, even if others try to meddle in their lives with good intentions.
I want Colin to represent the idea that every creature has the right to defend their way of life and act in a way that suits them and respects others – no matter how slow, thoughtful, or old-fashioned that might be.
Author Links: Facebook | Website
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/31/colin-the-crab-is-a-special-character/
Coming Full Circle follows a multi-generational family across America and back again in an entertaining story that shines a light on the origins of the current conservation crises. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
As a lifelong wildlife ecologist and conservationist, I’ve always been both offput and discouraged by the still far too prevalent notion that humans have a “biblical right” to exert dominion over all creatures of the natural world. Over the course of 15 years, I wrote “Coming Full Circle (CFC)” to emphasize the exact opposite of this misguided thought. Heavily relying on the knowledge I gained and experiences I had throughout my career, my goal with CFC was to set the record straight and—in the process—bring readers to the understanding that we have always been “part of” and not “apart from” our natural world.
Also, “Coming Full Circle” is a fiction sequel to our 2016 non-fiction book, “Protecting the Planet”, in that it reaches the same positive conclusions about solving our twin ecological dilemmas of climate change and biodiversity loss. The main difference is that CFC uses an informative and entertaining blend of historical fiction and poignant truths to tell the story of how we “progressed” from colonial times to our current precipice of environmental disasters.
Your characters are intriguing and well-developed. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Thank you! Many of the characters in “Coming Full Circle” are derived from my personal learnings and experiences as a field ecologist and freelance natural history writer/photographer. My co-author and daughter, Mariah Tinger, also used her personal experiences as a career environmental scientist to craft some of the book’s characters.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
In “Coming Full Circle”, life is represented as a circle because it is a constant loop. The idea of life as a circle exists across multiple religions and philosophies. This belief was prevalent throughout the early Indigenous Peoples of Earth. Unfortunately—owing to what some may term “progress”—this fervent belief in the circle of life is much less common in today’s world.
On the U.S. history side of the ledger, no group has ever been more disrespected and abused than our Native American tribes. Most valued all species as equals and managed their lands not just in sustainable ways, but in ways that enhanced the flourishing of ecosystems. Yet they lost both their ancestral lands and their cultural societies to colonial settlement.
Throughout CFC, Mariah and I emphasize our lifelong beliefs in the sanctity and equality of all living things—both human and non-human. Our belief system encompasses all races, religions, cultures, and lifestyles—but especially those of the Indigenous—or Native—Peoples of the world.
Since the environmental “regulatory heydays” of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, we have seen numerous and significant improvements in the local quality of our air and water. Now we must realize that this fight is far from over and we have to expand our threat level to preserving the long-tern quality of human life on Earth. It is now time to transform our world from the “Industrial Revolution” to the “Renewables Revolution”.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Right now, I’m concentrating on producing an array of blogs that correlate to my existing books. Produced through WordPress, my blog posts are categorized as:
• https://environmentalheroes.blog
• https://thisbirdinglife.blog
• https://opedpieces.blog
• https://climatechangesolutions.blog
Meanwhile, Mariah is busy teaching sustainability courses at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business and obtaining her Ph.D. in environmental/climate communication from Otago University in New Zealand.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/31/our-current-precipice-of-environmental-disasters/
Tell Anyone You Want That I Was Here follows an up-and-coming journalist as she’s called back to her hometown where she partners with an unpredictable sheriff amidst the town’s opioid crisis. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Lots of direct inspiration (except around opioids). The fictional town Willigsville is largely based on the small Missouri town, Higginsville, where I spent much of my childhood. The pros and cons of small-town America, such as loyalty and gossip, respectively, came from those memories.
Nikki Hightower is an interesting and well-developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Even the tragic accident in the story is based on a similar event from my childhood. I have long wondered what internal conflict rages inside someone who may or may not have brought about the death or disability of someone else. How would that internal battle ever be settled? Even when Nikki learns the truth of what happened all those years ago, conflicted feelings do not disappear.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The obvious themes: dealing with one’s past, American small town values, when to defer to versus defy authority. Additionally, Nikki struggles to choose a path to her future. She’s torn between the expected path toward a high-profile job versus something lower profile that might be more fulfilling. So many of us struggle with that. So many writers do.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The new book is speculative fiction, imagining a time “a few decades” into the future when state-sanctioned euthanasia has gone mainstream. I explore what that feels like for a protagonist ushering people “across the bridge.” The story explores what it means to be alive, both here and in the next life. No, it’s not a religious book.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Ten years earlier, on high-school graduation night, Nikki drove one of two cars involved in a bizarre crash that killed the town’s “princess” and left Nikki’s best friend with permanent brain damage. The townspeople blamed Nikki. Only two people took her side: her father, owner of the local newspaper, and Sheriff Joe Ransom who always viewed law enforcement as a form of creative expression.
Nikki returns to Willigsville, trapped between conflicting goals: escape the town’s condemnation or stay to uncover the truth of the crash. She partners with the unpredictable sheriff amidst the town’s greatest crisis, a tsunami of opioid addiction and overdoses fed by a brutal drug cartel and its local operatives. Meanwhile, rumors swirl of the sheriff’s corruption.
The past and present collide as Nikki realizes that her survival depends upon whom she chooses to trust.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/31/conflicted-feelings-do-not-disappear/
Periodic East follows a group of survivors of “the blast” who are trying to survive in the second ice age and keep humanity alive. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I was living in Los Angeles and I was devastatingly unhappy. I worked in a very hostile working environment at the time that I started writing the book. I was dealing with co-workers and customers who were (to put nicely) very unpleasant people. Despite their personalities being very volatile, I often imagined what would happen if they were forced to survive on their own or off the land. That’s kind of how “Periodic East” started.
Did you plan the tone and direction of the novel before writing or did it come out organically as you were writing?
When I write, I often get into a trance. Particularly when I write in first person and write from the perspective of a main character. They decide what happens. They tell me where they want to go. I try not to fight it. I just let the character guide me. I try to learn from them. I always knew I wanted to have lots of twists and turns in the story, but I wanted them all to make sense. To be possible in the world where “Periodic East” takes place.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
For me, forcing characters to see past and accept the differences of others was pivotal. If certain characters didn’t compromise or choose a more altruistic path, it led to their demise. The importance of being patient, which is something that I struggle with immensely, is also important for the survival and well-being of the characters. And also the fact that oftentimes, the most unlikely people can surprise you in the most amazing ways.
Can you tell us a little about where the story goes in book two and when the novel will be available?
Book two will be titled “Parallax.” It takes place immediately after the end of Book one. As I respond to this email, I’m four chapters in and I can already tell you, I intend to make it darker than the first. I want my characters to mature and to be more fearless within their environments and willing to take more risks for better or worse. “Parallax” should be available sometime first quarter 2024.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Facebook | Website
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/31/forced-to-survive-on-their-own/
Are you facing what seems like an impossible situation in life that has had you asking, “Why, God?”
Do you feel like screaming or running away just to escape from the challenges you face everyday?
Are you wondering if you will ever see the other side of the situation and finally find victory in your season?
Facing her son’s drug addiction, Wilda has asked herself all these questions and more. In excerpts from her journals, she shares the raw truth of her experiences with denial, anger, and depression, as well as the steps she took to find peace in trusting in God’s plan for her life. Acknowledging that God’s ways may not be her ways, Wilda shows us that being transparent with God, others, and most importantly herself, is an important step in the journey of healing.
What Wilda offers here is more than just a timeline of events and series of facts that may feel familiar to those who have watched a loved one battle addiction. She gives us an unfiltered, honest and vulnerable account of her thoughts and feelings as she navigated through one of the most difficult seasons of her life. And she leaves us with a simple but powerful truth that has been one of her core convictions-God never leaves us nor forsakes us. He is with us through it all, present and working in every moment. Those of us that know and love her are deeply appreciative that her readers will have the opportunity to benefit from the powerful life lessons she has conveyed to so many of us.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/31/being-transparent-book-trailer/