A Maecenas for the Internet Age
The Wall Street Journal celebrates the legacy of the late Denis Dutton, a writer, philosopher, and the creator of the popular website Arts & Letters Daily. Offering readers fresh daily links to the very best writing on books and culture, Dutton built ALD as an “elite meritocracy” that gave equal voice to quality journals of all sizes and perspectives.
‘Daddy, Read for Me’
Rikers Island inmates participating in the “Daddy and Me” literacy program are profiled in this NY Times feature. Organized by the NY Public Library, the program helps fathers connect with their children by reading and recording books like “Fox in Socks” and “The Little Engine That Could.”
How to Salvage a ‘Wrecked’ Novel
Author Michael Chabon discusses his abandoned novel Fountain City with The Atlantic. After 5 years and 1500 pages, Chabon “wrecked” the novel before going on to write Wonder Boys. Here he talks about his recent decision to publish four annotated chapters of Fountain City in McSweeney’s.
More Than A Mouthful
This NY Times essay explores the art of the extremely long sentence in novels such as James Joyce’s Ulysses and a host of more contemporary works. With an appreciative eye, the article celebrates the beauty in 36, 117, and 158-page long sentences in the era of 140-character Twitter posts.