June 6, 2013
Yes, the staff at EPL can haul weighty tomes with the best of them, but I’m referring here to a librarian who really lifts weights. Josh Hanagarne turned to body building as a way of coping with Tourette’s Syndrome and also became a librarian. He’s written a book (The World’s Strongest Librarian) about his experiences, […]
June 4, 2013
James Agee’s 1936 Fortune magazine article was the basis for his 1941 book on poverty in the South Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. That 30,000-word article, previously unpublished because Agee felt it was obscene to “pry intimately into the lives of an undefended and appallingly damaged group of human beings,” will now be published […]
May 31, 2013
Controversial Chicago priest Andrew Greeley died Thursday at the age of 85. Although he was an outspoken critic of the Catholic Church, “his criticism was seen as offering the faithful a route back to the church, and helping the church find its way toward embracing them.” In addition to his duties as a priest, Rev. […]
May 28, 2013
If you’re looking for something to do next weekend, keep the Printers Row Lit Fest in mind. There will be more than a few literary stars, fun activities, and interesting discussions. After skimming thru the list of events, I would say there’s an even balance between authors, poetry, food demos, and readings for youth, among other types of […]
May 28, 2013
Last Saturday evening I had the privilege of being the Pronouncer and moderator of the local level of the Illinois State Senior Spelling Bee. In addition to having loads of fun–I was channeling Alex Trebek and Will Shortz like crazy–I learned that Evanstonians are great spellers. There were 17 participants, ages 50 and up, and […]
May 24, 2013
Manuscript for a novel by Pearl S. Buck, discovered in a storage unit in Texas, will be released in October in paperback and e-book formats. Best known for her second novel The Good Earth, published in 1931, Pearl Buck is the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Renewed interest in her […]
May 23, 2013
Another National Poetry Month has come and gone but that doesn’t mean the fun is over. Breathe easy, poetry friends, because here on Off the Shelf we like to celebrate year round with Poetry 365, a monthly-minus-April feature that highlights a contemporary poet’s most recent work. This month we pick back up with Bob Hicok’s […]
May 21, 2013
Stephen King’s newest novel Joyland is being released in print form only. He told the Wall Street Journal: “I have no plans for a digital version. Maybe at some point, but in the meantime, let people stir their sticks and go to an actual bookstore rather than a digital one.” Although considered an e-book pioneer […]
May 17, 2013
The 2013 gold medals for the arts given by the American Academy of Arts and Letters have been awarded to novelist E.L.Doctorow and sculptor Mark di Suvero. The medals have been awarded each year since 1909 to two American citizens, in two categories of the arts, for an entire body of work. Fiction winners in […]
May 16, 2013
How to Kill a Vampire (Series) Fans’ outrage over the end of the Sookie Stackhouse series is chronicled by the Wall Street Journal. Despite her best attempts at a satisfying finale, author Charlaine Harris was so overwhelmed by taunting emails and death threats she was frightened into canceling her Dead Ever After book tour. Self-Portrait […]
