When asked to design a writÂing stuÂdio in the woods of New York, archiÂtect Andrew Berman began work on his dream project. And here’s what he delivÂered. If only we could all write in such luxÂuÂry…
Paul Auster Reads from New Novel, Sunset Park
This week, Paul Auster releasÂes his 16th novÂel, SunÂset Park, which gives litÂerÂary expresÂsion to the ecoÂnomÂic misÂforÂtunes weighÂing on the counÂtry. The foreÂcloÂsures. The unemÂployÂment. The recesÂsion and depresÂsion. The novÂel starts to paint the desÂperÂate picÂture quickÂly. Above, we have Paul Auster readÂing the beginÂning pages, and you can folÂlow along with this tranÂscript postÂed online by AmerÂiÂcan PubÂlic Media.
Auster also hapÂpens to narÂrate the entire audio verÂsion of SunÂset Park, and, as preÂviÂousÂly menÂtioned here, you can downÂload a free audio copy of the novÂel (or pretÂty much any othÂer book of your choice) if you regÂisÂter for a 14-day free triÂal of Audible.com. Once the triÂal is over, you can conÂtinÂue your AudiÂble subÂscripÂtion, or canÂcel it. It’s up to you. But, either way, you keep the book.
Thanks to Mike for spotÂting the Auster readÂing…
Reading While Driving, Seriously?
I gave up bikÂing on the roads this sumÂmer for a good reaÂson – too many knuckÂleÂheads texÂting, chatÂting, even readÂing, while driÂving. ReadÂing a novÂel while driÂving? A comÂplete aberÂraÂtion? ApparÂentÂly not. JoinÂing the genius above, we have the PortÂland, OreÂgon bus driÂver givÂing more thought to the KinÂdle than the road. And then this comÂplete piece of work mindÂlessÂly movÂing from the traÂdiÂtionÂal book, to the KinÂdle, then to the smartÂphone.
via Tech Crunch and Media Bistro
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Talking Literature with Great British Novelists
Image via WikiÂmeÂdia ComÂmons
For decades, the BBC has interÂviewed legÂendary British novÂelÂists, askÂing them how they creÂate their memÂoÂrable charÂacÂters, paint their evocaÂtive setÂtings with words, and develÂop plots that keep us turnÂing pages. Now, these audio interÂviews appear online in a colÂlecÂtion called In Their Own Words. The archive takes you back to 1937, to a conÂverÂsaÂtion with VirÂginia Woolf, then moves you forÂward to interÂviews with Aldous HuxÂley, JRR Tolkien, Doris LessÂing, MarÂtin Amis, VS Naipaul, and Salman Rushdie, to name just a few. These recordÂings sit niceÂly alongÂside a giant archive of litÂerÂary interÂviews recentÂly pubÂlished online by The Paris Review. (More on that here.) So, if you want to get into the “how” of litÂerÂaÂture, you can now tap instantÂly into the colÂlecÂtive wisÂdom of the litÂerÂary greats.
FolÂlow Open CulÂture on FaceÂbook and TwitÂter and share intelÂliÂgent media with your friends. Or betÂter yet, sign up for our daiÂly email and get a daiÂly dose of Open CulÂture in your inbox. And if you want to make sure that our posts defÂiÂniteÂly appear in your FaceÂbook newsÂfeed, just folÂlow these simÂple steps.
In Praise of Copying: Get Your Free Copy
Just a quick fyi: If you head over to the HarÂvard UniÂverÂsiÂty Press web site, you can grab a free copy of MarÂcus Boon’s new book, In Praise of CopyÂing, which makes the case that “copyÂing is an essenÂtial part of being human, that the abilÂiÂty to copy is worÂthy of celÂeÂbraÂtion, and that, withÂout recÂogÂnizÂing how inteÂgral copyÂing is to being human, we canÂnot underÂstand ourÂselves or the world we live in.” Boon is a writer, jourÂnalÂist and AssoÂciate ProÂfesÂsor in the EngÂlish LitÂerÂaÂture departÂment at York UniÂverÂsiÂty, ToronÂto. You can downÂload a free copy of his book in PDF forÂmat straight from this link. (Note that the text is forÂmalÂly released under a CreÂative ComÂmons license.) Or you can always purÂchase a printÂed copy online.
P.S. The UniÂverÂsiÂty of ChicaÂgo Press is offerÂing up a free e‑book of its own: The BourÂgeois Virtues (632 pages) by Deirdre N. McCloskey. Head here to get a copy.
The Best American Science Writing 2010: Free Essays
Jerome GroopÂman, the New YorkÂer staff writer and HarÂvard med school prof, has editÂed The Best AmerÂiÂcan SciÂence WritÂing 2010 - a new colÂlecÂtion that brings togethÂer “the most cruÂcial, thought-proÂvokÂing, and engagÂing sciÂence writÂing” durÂing the past 12 months. The 368 page book runs $10.19 online. But before you run out and buy it, let me say this: you can read many of the colÂlectÂed essays online for free. The Truth About Grit by JonÂah Lehrer; My Genome, My Self by Steven Pinker; Are We Still EvolvÂing? by KathÂleen McAuÂliÂffe – they’re among 16 essays availÂable online, and they’re all includÂed in a handy list pulled togethÂer by MetafilÂter. MeanÂwhile, if you want to read these essays latÂer on (when you have some time to delve into longer artiÂcles) give InstapaÂper a try. As I’ve menÂtioned before, it’s a great way to read texts in a clean forÂmat on the iPad, iPhone, and KinÂdle.
Vintage Literary T‑Shirts
Out of Print ClothÂing “celÂeÂbrates the world’s great stoÂries through fashÂion,” workÂing with artists to design t‑shirts that feaÂture iconÂic book covÂers. The catÂaÂlog lets you choose from Orwell’s AniÂmal Farm, Salinger’s CatchÂer in the Rye, William S. BurÂroughs’ Naked Lunch, BulÂgakov’s RussÂian clasÂsic MasÂter and MarÂgariÂta or 29 othÂer vinÂtage shirts, each of which costs a fairÂly reaÂsonÂable $28. See the full list of shirts here.
via @AndrewHazlett
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Mark Twain #1 on Amazon
The AutoÂbiÂogÂraÂphy of Mark Twain (Vol. 1) hit the stands just yesÂterÂday, and already it stands atop the AmaÂzon bestÂseller list, leapfrogÂging past Stieg LarsÂson, Bill Bryson, Jon StewÂart, and even the latÂest, supÂposÂedÂly greatÂest AmerÂiÂcan novÂelÂist, Jonathan Franzen. Although he died a cenÂtuÂry again, Twain has still got it.
The 766 page autoÂbiÂogÂraÂphy pubÂlished by UC Press runs $18.99 in hardÂcovÂer on AmaÂzon, and the KinÂdle verÂsion a far coolÂer $9.99. You can read excerpts in PDF forÂmat here and here. MeanÂwhile you can also find free verÂsions of Twain’s clasÂsics – AdvenÂtures of HuckÂleÂberÂry Finn and Tom Sawyer – in our colÂlecÂtions of Free Audio Books and Free eBooks.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Mark Twain CapÂtured on Film by Thomas EdiÂson (1909)
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