Writ Large Press

Big and sad literary news: John Updike has passed away.

John Updike, 1932-2009

We’ve received the sad news that John Updike has died, at the age of seventy-six. His writing has been a mainstay of The New Yorker, starting with the poem ‘Duet, With Muffled Brake Drums,’ which was published in August, 1954, and followed two months later by his short story ‘Friends from Philadelphia’; his last work of fiction for us was ‘The Full Glass,’ which appeared last May.

Great stuff. The power of literature, and all Arts, to provide a common ground, a common passion, for people from all over the world. I often imagine that when aliens arrive (if they haven’t already, that is!), it will be some work of art that will be able to communicate some important truth about the human race.

The Greatest Literary Show on Earth – The Daily Beast

Now in its third year, the Jaipur Literature Festival brings the voices of India and Pakistan together in peace.
Every January, the ancient city of Jaipur, India, celebrates the written word in a literary festival that easily places first in Asia for cultural cachet and star power. It’s hard to believe that the festival is only three years old, given the crackle and buzz around its events and personalities—Salman Rushdie chose the occasion for his first public appearance after the fatwa. And this year too, through five sun-drenched mornings and vivid, musical evenings in the dignified old Diggi Palace, the festival made headlines across India.

Great video.

Fiction takes “10 to 30 years to finish … many authors will supplement their income with blogging, a far more lucrative field, considered by many to be a higher art form.”

Via Novelr.

On the day after the Inauguration, Kim will be on the Moe Green Poetry Hour, interviewing with Moe Green AKA Rafael F.J. Alvarado. He’s had some incredibly well-respected and loved poets on his show in the past so it means a bunch for him to ask Kim to be on the show. She says she will be reading some pieces, discussing poetry, and just chewing the fat.

If you are in Los Angeles and anywhere near readings and arts events, the chances are you’ve run into Rafael. He is completely committed to reaching out and doing his part to bring the incredible writers in this city into the light. So a big thanks to him

Anyway, once again, Kim Calder interviewed on the Moe Green Poetry Hour on BlogTalkRadio. Here’s the link:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/onword/page/3

We haven’t seen this film yet, but it’s definitely on our list. All our friends who have seen have been raving about it.

Via Publisher’s Weekly:

Metropolitan Books, an imprint of Macmillan, will publish a full-color graphic novel adaptation of Israeli director Ari Folman’s much acclaimed animated documentary, Waltz with Bashir, in February. Waltz with Bashir seems to pick up a new award with every passing week. The film was named Best Movie at the Israeli Academy Awards; Best Picture by the National Society of Film Critics; and, over the weekend, was awarded a Golden Globe as the Best Foreign Language Film of the year. Metropolitan Books plans a 17,000-copy first printing for Waltz with Bashir: A Lebanon War Story.

The graphic work was created by the art director of Waltz with Bashir, David Polonsky, an award-winning children’s book illustrator in Israel, in collaboration with Folman and a team of Israeli comics artists. Polonsky will make appearances in the U.S. to promote the book.

This reminds me again of how much we eventually want to publish graphic novels or books with much artwork. It is part of our future plans. Once we have picked up enough momentum, success, not to mention funding.