He should hang around here for a bit

John Banville, of The Sea fame, likes a good fight now and then. The Booker Man's been trashed as not-commercial enough and not as good as Ishiguro. But he's quite happy to be at the centre of it all.

"Frankly, I am gratified to see myself vilified, and the jury being vilified," he said happily over lunch recently. "It cheers me up. I must have done something right to annoy so many people."


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After my blood calms, you know, from rising at the very mention of Dan Brown, the only part of this that makes sense to me is that Brown amalgamates the academics' names in a way that sounds too much like "Teabag". OK, and that, from what the CBC tells us, he's obviously used their book in his research, but he hasn't credited them. If he credits them, I can't see any kind of case. Fiction writers do research and base their plots on historical evidence all the time. Two words for what might make this diffrent? "Cha" and "Ching".

Random must choose between authors in lawsuit

A bunch of moldy-old historians, or mister shining pants Dan Brown. Guess who Random chose. Guess.


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Dust up

The Quill blog is reporting on a dustup between Globe music columnist and all around dude Carl Wilson and Fury's Hour author Warren Kinsella. Kinsella didn't like Wilson's assessment of his book and freaked out on his blog. How does this make Kinsella look? Insert your opinion here. Word to the wise, people: never respond to reviews. (No permalink, that I can see.)


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Oh my. Here we go...

Oy, is this a typical or exceptional Jorie Graham product? If so, I wouldn't lay odds on her immortality...

I was with him until "Graham got a raw deal." Wha? When the NYTimes article didn't even mention the pesky detail of choosing her husband? And what's this "Her work will endure" nonsense? I defy anyone to quote one line from memory. Ptui.

London amused, not amused

Foetry makes it to Britain where they are both sympathetic and practical about the whole shenanigans.


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A non-Believer

Jessa Crispin's Book Standard column deals with the recent dustup between Eggers and former scion-turned-repentent-recluse Pollack.


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The cold, cold nights at Casa del Foetry

A long look at the Foetry Wars so far, and its affect on the star-crossed couple at its core. For my feelings, see the words of William Logan. Actually, that's often the case in my life. Something happens and I just cock my thumb at William Logan. What he said. (Is it just me or does Janet Holmes come off like a screeching harpy here?)


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Candy Bushnell

Deal-breaker? This poor poor man has not only been taken for a financial ride, he's also had his trust violated. Um, idiot.


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DLJ, poetry gumshoe

Moby offers up a hardboiled look at the Foetry fiasco, schweetheart.


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...empty, aluminium, back-of-the cupboard pots.

Poets who back out of things should be stripped of their e's.
Pots, that's all they are. Pots.

Another poetry spat!

Is there anything more entertaining? Singer Jill Scott (I am so out of it... who?) has cancelled, an hour before curtain, a poetry reading she was to give at a prestigious Chicago poetry centre. Not sure what's behind all this, but Moby and Bookslut seem to think it's outrageous!


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Foetry profiled

The Chronicle of Higher Ed looks in depth at the Foetry phenomenon/scandal, in particular proprietor Alan Cordle and his poet partner. I think life for these people must really suck right now.


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