to move up and down
The literary life of R.A. Dickey
When already-legendary Blue Jays pitcher Dickey was in Grade 7, a teacher submitted a poem of his to a statewide contest, which he ended up winning. At the time he was struggling with the ramifications of abuse, and the success buoyed him: “From then on, I knew that I wanted to write. Unpacking literature and writing for me came very natural.” READ MORE: natpo.st/13AS6BU
Anne of Green Gables gets a sexy makeover, blond dye-job for new edition — and Canadian fans are not amused
A new image of Canada’s most beloved literary orphan has Canadians seeing red, but not where they’re supposed to.
A new edition of Anne of Green Gables depicts the notoriously youthful and ruddy-headed heroine as a curvaceous blond teen, sparking a fierce backlash from scholars and casual readers alike.
Critics derided the cover — which shows the heroine reclining against a hay stack, clad in a plaid shirt and smiling suggestively — saying it is a far cry from the feisty, 19th-century 11-year-old brought to life in the pages of L.M. Montgomery’s classic series of novels. (Amazon.com; Postmedia News files)
It’s not only Election Day in the United States, but here at The Afterword, as well.
We are huge fans of artist Jane Mount. We wrote about about her bookshelf-inspired paintings, which she sells on her website, a couple of years ago.
Her first book, My Ideal Bookshelf, will be published on November 13. It features the ideal bookshelves of over 100 writers, musicians, directors, chefs, journalists and other cultural figures, including Judd Apatow, David Chang, Miranda July, Michael Chabon, and Dave Eggers (pictured above).
In anticipation of the book’s release, we’ve asked Mount to paint Canada’s ideal bookshelf. That’s where you come in. Read on: natpo.st/SqSlVr
Zadie Smith is homeward bound for NW
Zadie Smith’s new novel, NW, is about four people stuck in different circumstances despite starting out from the exact same place on the map. (Illustration by Kagan McLeod)
What kind of J. K. Rowling novel might we expect where every character is a Muggle?
Book review: The Casual Vacancy confirms that J.K. Rowling does not lose her narrative gifts by stepping outside her usual realm. Stripped of the fantastic, she still draws the reader onward.
J.K. Rowling not ruling out writing a ‘sidestep’ from the Harry Potter series
J.K. Rowling plans to return to writing for young people — and the author says she doesn’t rule out another book set in Harry Potter’s magical world.
How I put my library on a diet
I don’t like getting rid of books. I’ve previously written about my literary hoarding tendencies; I own hundreds of books I’ve never opened, let alone read, not to mention the stacks in my cubicle I intend to bring home one day. The idea of divesting myself of a small, yet substantial, part of my collection was daunting.
There is an unspoken agreement between reader and author when a new book is brought into the home: This book will (eventually) be read. Getting rid of a book — especially if it remains unread — represents failure for both book and reader. It means the book was never able to escape the shelf and make it into the reader’s hands. It represents unrealized potential, unfulfilled hope, an unkept promise.
R.I.P. Ray Bradbury
Artist Kagan McLeod’s beautiful portrait of the late author.
SmithMag asks writers to share their magic moments
Everyone has that one “moment” — whether it’s a bad one, a good one, a strange one or what feels like an insignificant one, it’s that one slice of time where anything and everything seems possible.
