The Blog

From the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, Bali

Robin Hemley

(This from Robin Hemley, who's on the road, um, ocean.)

"I won't be able to attend the meeting. I'll be out of town unfortunately."

"Are you going anywhere interesting?" Yes, I nodded curtly, hoping to leave it at that. Normally, I'm anything but curt. A raised eyebrow. Clearly, my answer did not satisfy. I sighed. "Bali."

TIR vs. Stereotypical, Mostly Boring Readings: TIR Wins

Lynne Nugent

The Iowa Review annual Fall Reading took place at Prairie Lights Monday night.

I arrived fifteen minutes early and was alarmed at the amount of open chairs, since I had been put in charge of the publicity and poster-making blitz. Thankfully, by the time Russell went up to the podium to get the ball rolling, the chairs were all filled and people even had to sit on the floor in the back. I think that qualifies as a full house, if I do say so myself.

Shivani on Contemp (which stands for contemporary) American letters

Russell Valentino

Some of his assertions about the fifteen most overrated writers hit very close to home: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anis-shivani/the-15-most-overrated-con_b_6... There is a tone in common here with John Palatella's piece from The Nation a couple of months back (http://www.thenation.com/article/death-and-life-book-review), a general angst about the absent moral core of American letters.

Mark Tursi's THE IMPOSSIBLE PICNIC

Matt Miller

“What need for purists when the demotic is built to last,
To outlast us, and no dialect hears us?"

—John Ashbery, “Purists Will Object”

Melting Snow Cones and Book Lovers' Hearts: TIR's Adventures at the Iowa City Book Festival

Sara Kosch

It was nine o'clock in the morning on Saturday, July 17, and I was already sweating profusely. I wished I had thought to bring a large palm leaf or at least a wide brimmed hat, but I comforted myself with the fact that at least I was going to get some color after working inside all summer. As it turned out that color was going to be red instead of the sun-kissed glow I would have preferred, but I'll take what I can get, I suppose.

From the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, Bali

TIR vs. Stereotypical, Mostly Boring Readings: TIR Wins

Shivani on Contemp (which stands for contemporary) American letters

Mark Tursi's THE IMPOSSIBLE PICNIC

Melting Snow Cones and Book Lovers' Hearts: TIR's Adventures at the Iowa City Book Festival

Pages

Find Us