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FinalÂly, we leave you with this — MailÂer readÂing from his new work, describÂing the conÂcepÂtion of Hitler, as told from the devÂil’s perÂspecÂtive, in someÂwhat racy terms. (NOTE: the video qualÂiÂty is very Youtube-esque, but it gets the job done): |
Norman Mailer’s Fuhrer in MultiMedia
The American Idol for Thinking People: The New Twist on Book Publishing
It was probÂaÂbly only a matÂter of time before this hapÂpened. AccordÂing to The New York Times, TouchÂstone, an imprint of Simon & SchusÂter, has agreed to pubÂlish a work by whichevÂer new writer takes first prize in a conÂtest sponÂsored by the social-netÂworkÂing site, Gather.com. A la AmerÂiÂcan Idol, everyÂday peoÂple and panÂel of experts will read and vote on the first chapÂter of books subÂmitÂted by everyÂday peoÂple. And although the winÂner will need to sign the “stanÂdard Simon & SchusÂter conÂtract,” he/she will get their work fast tracked to pubÂliÂcaÂtion and forÂgo the hasÂsle of shopÂping a book. Also, there’s a $5,000 cash prize and the promise of proÂmoÂtion at local BorÂders’ book stores.
The underÂlyÂing logÂic behind the conÂtest, called “First ChapÂters,” comes down to this: It’s ultiÂmateÂly peoÂple who buy books, so why not let a good samÂple demoÂgraphÂic (Gather.com’s 175,000 oldÂer and more mature users) preÂview the subÂmisÂsions, decide what they like, and save the ediÂtor the effort of guessÂing what will fly. That makes a cerÂtain amount of sense if you’re a pubÂlishÂer, workÂing in a slugÂgish indusÂtry with narÂrow marÂgins, who is always lookÂing to maxÂiÂmize the odds of putting out winÂners. HowÂevÂer, whether it will furÂther the pubÂlishÂer’s misÂsion of bringÂing qualÂiÂty books to our culÂture is an altoÂgethÂer difÂferÂent quesÂtion, and the jury remains out on this one. You can get more inforÂmaÂtion about the conÂtest by clickÂing here.
Philip Roth’s Everyman and Beyond
CourÂtesy of the radio proÂgram Open Source, we get an intriguÂing and widerangÂing interÂview with Philip
Roth, where he talks canÂdidÂly about his latÂest and 27th novÂel EveryÂman, a work that takes an exisÂtenÂtialÂly anguishÂing look at the end of life. We also get Roth readÂing from othÂer past novÂels, talkÂing about the day-to-day pracÂtice of writÂing, and offerÂing thoughts on the curÂrent state of AmerÂiÂcan polÂiÂtics. You can catch the interÂview in one of three ways: iTunes, Rss feed, mp3 stream.
For othÂer interÂviews with promiÂnent thinkers, see our page called Smart Talks — LeadÂing Thinkers in MulÂti-Media.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Let’s go into ChristÂmas on the right note, with a free podÂcast of Charles DickÂen’s A ChristÂmas CarÂol. (Find it here on iTunes.) WritÂten in 1843, DickÂen’s tale remains one of the most popÂuÂlar ChristÂmas stoÂries of all time. It gave us the indeliÂble charÂacÂters of EbenezÂer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and the Ghosts of ChristÂmas Past, Present, and Future. And it inventÂed the notion of “christÂmas spirÂit.” This podÂcast is rather well read. If you’d like to read along with the actuÂal text, you can get a free etext here, courÂtesy of Project GutenÂberg.
Also, you can find othÂer free ChristÂmas stoÂries at LibÂrivox. On this page, you can stream mp3s of many difÂferÂent holÂiÂday tales.
For more free audio books, check out our Audio Book PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtion. We now have over 40 clasÂsics listÂed and ready to downÂload. HapÂpy holÂiÂdays.
Book Chapters Presented by The New York Times
Here is a quick tidÂbit for the readÂer who doesÂn’t like buyÂing books sight unseen. Each week, The New York Times posts on its web site the full text of the first chapÂter of books reviewed in The New York Times Book Review, or which othÂerÂwise appear on the NYT bestÂseller lists. You can find some of the recentÂly highÂlightÂed texts on The Times’ First ChapÂters page. Or for a comÂplete list, you can turn to this less designed page and work through a list of books arranged in clear, alphaÂbetÂiÂcal order.
More Free Texts: WithÂin our EduÂcaÂtionÂal Web Resources comÂpiÂlaÂtion, we have includÂed many othÂer sites that proÂvide access to free online texts. SimÂply look under the first secÂtion called “Online Texts & Text Search,” and you will be on your way.
Google’s Shakespeare
Google has always shied away from the conÂtent creÂation busiÂness. While Yahoo spent preÂcious resources develÂopÂing expenÂsive conÂtent, the Google folks conÂtentÂed themÂselves with develÂopÂing techÂnolÂoÂgy that orgaÂnized the rest of the world’s inforÂmaÂtion. And it paid off well. GivÂen this approach, it was someÂwhat strange to stumÂble upon an ediÂtoÂriÂalÂized part of their web site that invites users to “Explore ShakeÂspeare with Google.” But we’re glad we did.
Google’s ShakeÂspeare prodÂuct is part of the comÂpaÂny’s largÂer Book Search iniÂtiaÂtive, which, to boil it down, involves scanÂning milÂlions of books, putting them on Google’s servers, and allowÂing users to search the print uniÂverse like they do the world of web conÂtent. Although some aspects of the project have proven to be highÂly conÂtroÂverÂsial (nameÂly, the deciÂsion to scan milÂlions of copyÂrightÂed texts), othÂer aspects have been easÂiÂly welÂcomed by the pubÂlishÂing comÂmuÂniÂty. This includes the deciÂsion to scan and archive a panoply of old, pubÂlic domain texts.
This is where we get to Google’s ShakeÂspeare. What you’ll find here is a colÂlecÂtion of all of the Bard’s plays in full text. The hisÂtoÂries, tragedies, comeÂdies, romances — they are all here. The folks at GoogleÂplex give you the abilÂiÂty to access each play in its entireÂty and peruse it online. Or, alterÂnaÂtiveÂly, you can downÂload each play as a PDF file, which gives you the abilÂiÂty to print the text and work through it in new ways. This kind of ediÂtoÂrÂiÂal colÂlecÂtion is hard to argue with. In fact, we’d like to see more colÂlecÂtions like it. But someÂthing tells us that this isn’t likeÂly — that the Bard (oh, and ChiÂna) is just about the only thing for which Google will make an excepÂtion.
Iraq Study Group Report: Free Download
The long-awaitÂed Iraq Study Group Report came out today, and, by evening, the book verÂsion was already #32 on Amazon.com’s top 100 book list. The book runs about 160 pages, but the subÂstance of the report runs only about 60, and you can spare yourÂself the $10.95 retail price and simÂply downÂload it in PDF form for free here. You can also get much more backÂground inforÂmaÂtion about the Iraq Study Group at: https://www.usip.org/isg/
The 10 Best Books of the Year
Last week, The New York Times’ Book Review pubÂlished its list, 100 Notable Books of the Year and it has since folÂlowed up with a whitÂtled down list, The 10 Best Books of 2006. It’s boiled down to 5 works of ficÂtion, and 5 non-ficÂtion, and here’s what it looks like:
FICTION
ABSURDISTAN — Gary ShteynÂgart
THE COLLECTED STORIES OF AMY HEMPEL — Amy Hempel
THE EMPEROR’S CHILDREN — Claire MesÂsud
THE LAY OF THE LAND — Richard Ford
SPECIAL TOPICS IN CALAMITY PHYSICS — MarÂisha Pessl
NONFICTION
FALLING THROUGH THE EARTH: A MemÂoir — Danielle Trussoni
THE LOOMING TOWER: Al-QaeÂda and the Road to 9/11. — Lawrence Wright.
MAYFLOWER: A StoÂry of Courage, ComÂmuÂniÂty, and War — Nathaniel Philbrick
THE OMNIVORE’S DILEMMA: A NatÂurÂal HisÂtoÂry of Four Meals — Michael PolÂlan
THE PLACES IN BETWEEN — Rory StewÂart
(Note: This list won’t appear in print until the DecemÂber 10th.)
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