Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

I went to San Francisco to hear Kate Atkinson speak last night. She's promoting her new book "Life After Life" which is one of my top 10 favorite books. She brought her American editor with her who asked her questions. She did a reading and took questions from the audience. There were probably about 100 people there.
One thing of interest is that she doesn't see any Jackson Brodie novels in the future although she might write one where he is a very minor character.
She was absolutely fascinating in talking about her writing process. She said she got the title first and that never changes. That's her goal post. She does not plot in advance- the story leads her. She rewrites the first chapter about 100 times but the others flow. She got her start writing stories for women's magazines. She said it was a great training ground. She was very funny and interesting. She also said she does not read Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ because she doesn't want anyone influencing her writing. I told her it would great fun to join a discussion on her books and she said she would consider that but she didn't want reviews. It was a wonderful evening.

Wow sounds like you had a really good evening.

I’m disappointed that she won’t be writing any more Jackson Brody novels, however I hear that they are filming a second series, so that’s something to look forward to :-)

Sounds like a fantastic night. I couldn't write like her, though. The story is always first, and the start takes about as much time as the rest of the story (although I've never written anything as long as 6000 words,) and about the same editing it.

I can totally understand why she doesn't read reviews. Reading pleasure is very subjective and we tend to heed of negative responses more than positive ones. It's bound to have an influence.

Declan wrote: "Sounds like a fantastic night. I couldn't write like her, though. The story is always first, and the start takes about as much time as the rest of the story (although I've never written anything as..."

I just bought Life After Life and I'm looking forward to reading it. I've always liked Kate Atkinson's books--especially the Jackson Brodie ones--and recently I heard her interviewed on a Guardian (?) or BBC (?) books podcast about this novel, and her interview prompted me to go buy the book.

I'm actually dying to start it. I haven't looked forward to a book so much in a long time.

@Cathleen- please let me know how you like it. I am so invested in it for some reason. I've loaned my copy to two others and they've love it. Thank goodness. What was her interview on your podcast like? She was very funny at our talk.

Susan wrote: "@Cathleen- please let me know how you like it. I am so invested in it for some reason. I've loaned my copy to two others and they've love it. Thank goodness. What was her interview on your podcast ..."

Hi Susan--I will. I have a few books "on deck," but I'll be reading it soon. The podcast with Kate Atkinson was the March 15th Open Book with Mariella Frostrup. It's under the Books and Authors podcast from BBC radio 4. I thought she seemed charming, down-to-earth, and I enjoyed listening to her talk about her writing process.

Just finished reading by County Wexford writer and journalist, Margaret Hawkins. It is the story of a 40-year-old nurse who was raised in a children's home and how she sets about finding her natural father. A page turner about "secret babies and the people who made them".

That was one of the lowest points of a bad record of abuse, by the CC.

Declan wrote: "That was one of the lowest points of a bad record of abuse, by the CC."

Yes and sad too -- almost everyone that you talk about it to seems to have a story to tell

I'm currently reading Boxer, Beetle which I'm finding very interesting and enjoyable so far just because there are so many interesting things going on: Nazi memorabilia, boxing, insects, eugenics... and the alternate time periods creates a good contrast between chapters also. The insect stuff really reminds me of the wonderful The Silence of the Lambs

Has anyone read anything of Declan Burke's? I've heard a little about him, with descriptions of him as being "unique," the new look of crime writing--but transcending crime writing and so on. I've looked for actual books of his--in the library and bookstores here--with no luck.

I've never heard of him, Cathleen. I'll be in town later, though. I'll make it my business to look for his books.

Declan wrote: "I've never heard of him, Cathleen. I'll be in town later, though. I'll make it my business to look for his books."

Thanks, Declan. He sounds intriguing, but I can't really get a handle on what his writing is like. I guess that's what occurs when people describe one's writing as "transcending genre" :)

Cathleen wrote: "Has anyone read anything of Declan Burke's? I've heard a little about him, with descriptions of him as being "unique," the new look of crime writing--but transcending crime writing and so on. I..."

I recently bought a copy of a book he edited DOWN THESE GREEN STREETS: IRISH CRIME WRITING IN THE 21st CENTURY. Haven't dipped into it yet.

He wasn't in Chapters, but I was assured he's regularly stocked onto the shelves. I didn't get a chance to go to Eason's. I'd be pretty shocked if they didn't have any of his books.

So, I am off to SF on June 8 to see Khaleed Hosseini speak. He has a new book out and I am excited. It's supposed to be his best yet. Have you all read his "Kite Runner", a personal favorite of mine?

I've justed added it to my to-read list. It's one of those books I probably should have read, by now.

Allan wrote: "I started to listen to this on audiobook a few years ago but didn't stick with it. I know both my parents, neither of whom are big readers, listened to and enjoyed it.

I'm sure SF has bookstores i..."

Allan, I have been to City Lights and love it. The book store I go is actually in Corte Madera about 10 minutes north of SF. It is a wonderful independent book store. Many authors live in the community (it's so expensive I could never afford to live there).
You were in SF and didn't call me? Shame. Oh well, we didn't know each other then. Next time call me. I was in The City (as it's known) Wednesday. I went to the Rembrandt exhibit and "The Girl with the Pearl Earring". This is how shallow I am. I looked at the painting and thought Scarlett Johanson did look like the girl.

Allan wrote: "A review of Hosseini's new book from today's Observer.

"

Thanks for the review. I am looking forward to reading it. Do you know his story? He is a doctor or was until his career took off. He and his famaily emigrated from Afghanistan and his dad supported the family by working at various flea markets in SF. Then his son becomes a doctor and then an international best selling author. It's the American dream in real life.

Allan wrote: "I was on the west coast for 3 weeks on that trip, Susan-it was the last big trip I took before I settled down. I used my friend's place in Mountainview as a base-he worked for hotmail at the time t..."

Oh, your trip sounds wonderful, Allan. I really like Mt. View. Did you go by Stanford? You visited all my favorite places. Monterey, Santa Cruz, Yosemite, Grand Canyon. I remember when we took our 4 kids to the Grand Canyon and went on a plane ride. They got air sick! It seems like the only place you missed was my part of Cal.-the Redwoods. Good job.
Thanks for all your travel advice.I will have to digest it all.

Oh, I am sorry, Allan. I didn't mean Redwood City but the giant Redwood trees. Some of the oldest trees on earth. Redwood City is just another suburb city. Nothing special. Mt. View is famous for being the center of the Internet companies and that's why it's expensive.
I have a story about Haight Ashbury. When I was 13 so it would have been 1966, my parents took me down to SF for a Monkees concert, a teenage girl's dream. We drove through Haight Ashbury and I remember my mother pointing and staring at all the people with the long hair and funny clothes. Now you wouldn't even blink an eye at them.

Allan wrote: "I loved Boxer Beetle-am about to purchase The Teleportation Accident on audiobook which is also supposed to be enjoyable!"

Cool. I will do same. I just finished BB. This site is very amusing if you've not seen it:

Allan, you always give me a chuckle. You couldn't make up the stories that are true in SF. The Harvey Milk movie is being played on TV next weekend with Neil Patrick Harris doing a commentary. Sean Penn lives in Marin County- 7 miles north of SF so I don't know if it's just our area or not. I actually heard Milk speak several times and he was quite dynamic. One of our current Senators, Diane Feinstein, actually held him while he died.
As for Dan White, you didn't buy the Twinkie defense? Only in SF. You know the company that makes Twinkies just went bankrupt and everyone was so concerned about their loss of the treats. Of course, they make HO HO's too. OMG! You would have thought the world had come to an end. And what would you would do for a legal defense? Now there are companies vying for the opportunity to make Twinkies. Whew! It could have collapsed our entire legal system.

Jim Jones' place was actually 15 miles south of here. We were quite familiar with him. My dad was Superintendent of Schools and had several run-ins with him about the cult children's school attendance and welfare. We were scared of him long before his melt down.

Allan, you find the most interesting interviews. I found it interesting that he would write "Kite Runner" differently but as we age we do tend to look at things differently. I was glad to read that they are making a movie on "A Thousand Pleasant Suns". There is a very graphic scene in that book that I have no idea of how they will film it. It's funny what he said about young people reading his book. At the last two readings I have been to, the audience has been packed with high schoolers. I'm overjoyed to see that. I am really looking forward to his talk now and thanks for sharing.

I just started The Catastrophist by Ronan Bennett and was immediately drawn in. The story is compelling - an Irishman, Gillespe, a novelist from Belfast, follows his Italian lover who writes for an Italian communist newspaper to the Belgian Congo in 1959 on the eve of the war of independence. Patrice Lumumba has already made an appearance. One of the quotes from a Guardian review states: "It could be read as a quiet, unprogrammatic allegory for Northern Ireland. Like [Paul] Muldoon, Bennett has gained a great deal by looking at political strife and engagement in a faraway place, from an oblique angle". I didn't read the blurbs in the front of the book before I started it, but it struck me soon into the book that it was an interesting book for someone for Belfast to write, and that there were many parallels.
I am reading this for my contemporary Irish lit book group that meets June 10th.

I will add that when John Boyne was here in DC recently, and I mentioned our book club, he asked what we were reading. He was suitable impressed with the choice of Bennett and Astray by Emma Donoghue - I couldn't remember more.

What did you make of Astray, Barbara? Having read Slammerkin I'm reluctant to pick up another one of her novels, but still feel she deserves another try.

Declan- I'll be reading Astray for my July book club meeting so haven't gotten into it yet. I bought it last October at Hodges figgis.

Allan - thanks for the John Boyne interview - I'll look for it, and better yet, share it.

Allan, I got both Eureka St and Silver Linings today. I'm looking forward to them but I'm still reading Strumpet City and others. It's hard not to dig into them.

Declan wrote: "What did you make of Astray, Barbara? Having read Slammerkin I'm reluctant to pick up another one of her novels, but still feel she deserves another try."

Didn't she write "Room", Declan? I really liked that and it was right around the time they finally found Jaycee Duggard after all those years of captivity.

I just finished The Catastrophist by Ronan Bennett about the Belgian Congo on the eve of independence in 1959/1960. James (Seamus) Gillespie is in the after following his Italian lover Ines there. This is an excellent read that provides much food for thought about colonialism, how the colonial powers manipulated situations. In this story it is not only the Belgian, but also Americans and Brits. Gillespie claims to be apolitical which is one of the central themes. He also seems to be a bit preoccupied by sex. A big difference between male and female writers are there descriptions of sex - makes sense. It is one of those differences I put up with at times for a gripping book.

@Susan. I might give that a try, so. :)

Barbara wrote: "I just finished The Catastrophist by Ronan Bennett about the Belgian Congo on the eve of independence in 1959/1960. James (Seamus) Gillespie is in the after following his Italian lover Ines there. ..."

Hi Barbara, That sounds like a really interesting novel. I read The Poisonwood Bible last fall, and I was fascinated by her portrayal of the Congo. It made me want to read King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial Africa which I haven't yet. It sounds like you'd highly recommend Bennet's book?

In addition to East of Eden and Strumpet City for our group reads, I'm about to start The Light of Amsterdam. I've never read any of David Parks' books, so I'm looking forward to it. Typically, I wouldn't be actively reading three novels at the same time, but the Parks' book is from the library, and I could only borrow it for 2 weeks.

I do recommend it as it seems to capture the environment and mood of a colony on the verge of change. There are unsympathetic portrayals of the oblivious colonials, and Gillespie's assertion he is apolitical is worth dissecting. The descriptions are vivid. I've never been to Africa so I cannot claim the details of Leopoldville and the Congolese are accurate, but he does weave a fascinating story.

Reading Burying the Typewriter by Carmen Bugan. It's a memoir about growing up in Romania and how the Secret Police took over their lives when he father protested against the regieme. Beautifully written lyrical, moving and terrifying.

I picked up my copy of TransAtlantic by Colum McCann last night and am already 75 pages in (had to wait a bit this morning for an appointment). It is already captivating me.

Also reading The Book of Night Women
I feel as though I've read it before... I suppose all accounts of slavery will have similar themes and incidents... hmmmm.
Also just read Evening in the Palace of Reason: Bach Meets Frederick the Great in the Age of Enlightenment
He recounts the meeting first up then reviews the lives of Bach and Frederick the Great up to the meeting. You're expecting something interesting from the meeting but no... you already know it all...disappointing.
There are interesting snippets of info along the way and an awful lot of info about Bach's music that would be if interest to musicologists. But I'm not a musicologist.

Sitting at the bookstore waiting for khaled hosseini to speak on new book and the mountains echoed. Can't wait

I hope you had a great time, Susan. I'm sure he's a wonderful speaker... And a trip to San Fran is always a treat.

I finished TransAtlantic last night - wonderful, a lot to ponder, and definitely a book I could read again. I am seeing McCann on Weds. This morning I finished Strumpet City - a good choice. Also waiting for a spoiler thread for it.
I'm starting All the Beggars Riding - I'm on a tear. I will mention I am only working part-time this month and then 6 weeks off (though there is never really time off for us academics).

Enjoy McCann reading/talk, Barbara. I'm sure it'll be excellent. By the way, the spoiler thread for Strumpet City is open.

Declan wrote: "Enjoy McCann reading/talk, Barbara. I'm sure it'll be excellent. By the way, the spoiler thread for Strumpet City is open."

Terrific! Just when I was going to get offline and do some cleaning :)

I know. I'm a terrible influence. :)

I can't believe how good Hosseini's talk was. He talked for about 2 hours and answered lots of questions. Book Passage is one of the first places that helped him out in the beginning. He had his wife, a former lawyer for Intel, and his two kids with him plus about ten friends. Sitting directly in front of us was Isabel Allende, the great South American writer (she was mentioned in the review Allan provided the link for). She was wonderful and chatted with us quite a bit even talking about her stepson's recent death from an overdose. Hosseini talked a lot about his writing process and even about how his wife is his first editor. He says he dreads the times when the manuscripts come back with LOL and "What were you thinking?" He drives his kids to Farisi lessons and still lives in the SF area.
I asked the first question since I'm so shy. I asked him how he shook off writing the horrific scenes like the woman getting stoned to death in "Thousand Splendid Suns." He really liked the question and autographed my book first.
The place was sold out and people standing in the back and lots of unhappy people being turned away.
I can't tell you what a great night it was for a book nerd like me. Plus it was 76F/24C there and at home it was 111F/43.88C. God, it was good to be out of the heat.

Susan wrote: "I can't believe how good Hosseini's talk was. He talked for about 2 hours and answered lots of questions. Book Passage is one of the first places that helped him out in the beginning. He had his wi..."

That sounds like an absolutely amazing night, Susan. Good for you for asking the first question. I saw Julian Barnes a few years ago, and I had a lot of questions to ask, but somehow I just sat there dumbstruck.

Those temps are really out of the ordinary for SF, aren't they? I was under the impression that it was temperate/cool, even, most of the time? I can't function when it gets past 85 degrees. Or, more accurate, past 80!

I'm so glad you had such a good time, Susan. It really shouldn't have been a surprise that so many people were turned away. Whenever a writer of Hosseini's calibre reads in Dublin it usually by booking, only.

I recently took my brother to an event for children's writer Derek Landy, but had to reserve tickets two weeks in advance.

Yep, it was 24C and nothing but blue skies. It's almost midnight and I'm still wearing shorts, I'm so warm.

If I had to endure 43/44 degree heat, I probably wouldn't be able to stomach eating. I don't know you can put up with it, Susan.