“Fanfiction” is flexibly defined as amateur fiction created by fans in response to, and borrowing from, popular media works or series. Two recent events have thrust it into the spotlight: the phenomenal success of E.L. James’ racy romance series Fifty Shades … Continued
In the game of cricket, when a batsman makes a “half a century,” he raises his bat like a sceptre or a torch (indeed, like both) and slowly twirls it to the four corners of the field. This momentary stirring … Continued
The internet seems like it should be rife with potential constraints for Oulipian – or highly structured, or at least experimental – literature. The much-discussed Twitter is an obvious example, and if you’re like me and you like rules, the … Continued
The Devil in Silver has been acclaimed for its brutally honest portrayal of mental illness. Your stories are often labelled as “dark.” Do you find that they have a particular mood? I’ve always thought of my stuff as … Continued
The Best American Poetry collection celebrated its 25th anniversary last night at The New School. The concept of the “best” American poetry or “best” American poets in any given year may sound a bit strange at face value—and rightly so. … Continued
Granta is no stranger to the themed issue, but the latest is one you might not expect. Last night, James Lasdun and Ben Lerner, contributors to the quarterly, joined associate editor Patrick Ryan at NYU’s Creative Writers House to read … Continued
Second time around: Aidan Koch takes another stab at a think-outside-the-tab eReader. This one attaches to your keychain and, like the tamagotchi did before it, keeps your wallet and phone company. Nothing wrong with standing in front of your house for a few minutes until you … Continued
I like to force things. It’s been a problem of mine since I was very young. My father used to explain to me that you can’t decide something about the workings of the universe unless it’s proven itself. You can’t … Continued
“[Painting] does not have to be ‘literary’– an invective which many people use in regard to paintings that do not depict apples on a tablecloth or a broken violin.” –Edvard Munch, 1929 Starting October 24, the Museum of Modern … Continued
The uproar surrounding Philip Roth’s open letter to Wikipedia in The New Yorker is a small fire, but it is one that illuminates the shifting power dynamics in the larger media landscape. Mr. Roth’s letter addresses an inaccuracy concerning the … Continued
