AltWeeklies Wire
J.K. Rowling Raids the Hogwarts Library with 'Beedle'new
If the phrases "Translated from the ancient runes by Hermione Granger" and "Commentary by Albus Dumbledore" don't get your Hedwig-emblazoned Underoos in a twist, we might as well cut to the chase: The Tales of Beedle the Bard probably isn't for you (and you're also probably a joyless, dour ass, but that's beside the point).
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
12-12-2008 |
Fiction
Harmon Leon's Latest Book is an Error-Filled Report from America's Underbellynew
Thanks in no small part to the book's countless textual errors, Leon comes across more as a witless lunkhead than a loveable rapscallion. His complete disinterest in cultural analysis has the quality of a bad show on Comedy Central, and American Dream is ultimately about as entertaining and fulfilling as a couple hours of TV.
The Portland Mercury |
Justin W. Sanders |
12-04-2008 |
Nonfiction
Tags: Harmon Leon, The American Dream
Thom Hartmann's Latests Explains How to Think Like a Republicannew
Cracking the Code explains how the left wing can exploit the techniques of the right. While that sounds like a snoozy topic, Hartmann drops in enough anecdotes and ripped-from-the-headlines (or, from politicians' speeches and campaign ads) examples to keep it lively.
The Portland Mercury |
Amy J. Ruiz |
12-04-2008 |
Nonfiction
'The Dart League King' is Surprising and Compellingnew
Keith Lee Morris' second book takes place entirely at a championship darts match on a single night in Idaho, in June of 2007. Surprisingly for such a narrowly focused work, it is as compelling a novel as I've read all year.
The Portland Mercury |
Matt Davis |
11-14-2008 |
Fiction
Ed McClanahan's Memoir is Generous and Irreverentnew
Formally meticulous and thematically irreverent, O the Clear Moment is a loose collection of autobiographical pieces in which McClanahan reflects on an idyllic childhood in small-town Kentucky, chronicles the successes and humiliations of high school, and opens a few small but well-placed windows onto his adult eccentricities.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallett |
10-31-2008 |
Nonfiction
'The Fire' is the Latest Guilty Pleasure from Katherine Nevillenew
Not only is it a new book by Neville, who hasn't written anything in nearly two decades, but her last novel, The Eight, is the ultimate let-me-lie-on-the-couch-and-eat-bonbons-while-a-hunky-Persian-man-in-a-loincloth-paints-my-toenails book. The Fire is the next episode in the saga.
The Portland Mercury |
Melissa Lion |
10-24-2008 |
Fiction
Tags: Katherine Neville, The Fire
'Veeps' is an Irreverent Guide to the History of the Vice Presidencynew
There are three people on the blue side of the political spectrum who benefited from the selection of the profoundly terrifying Sarah Palin as a vice-presidential candidate: Tina Fey, Bill Kelter, and Wayne Shellabarger.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallett |
10-24-2008 |
Nonfiction
Haruki Murakami on Runningnew
Murakami's new book, What I Talk about When I Talk about Running, is such a memoir: Murakami here treats long-distance running as both a routine that has physically sustained him for more than 20 years, and a metaphor for his workhorse approach to writing.
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
07-31-2008 |
Nonfiction
Michael Ian Black Unleashes Some Essaysnew
It's a collection of short essays that often feel like blog posts; some of the pieces—such as "Hey, David Sedaris--Why Don't You Go Ahead and Suck It?" or "A Series of Letters to the First Girl I Ever Fingered"--are vaguely grounded in reality, while others are completely fanciful.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
07-24-2008 |
Fiction
David Sedaris Cranks Out an Airplane Readnew
When You Are Engulfed in Flames does feature flashes of that off-kilter Sedaris wit, but more often the stories here are quickly read and more quickly forgotten: entertaining enough, but easy to put away when the wheels hit the tarmac.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallett |
07-03-2008 |
Fiction
Blogger Christian Lander on White Peoplenew
The Definitive Guide to Stuff White People Like: The Unique Taste of Millions is 150 blog posts -- uh, make that chapters -- with titles like "Michel Gondry," "Modern Furniture," and "Knowing What's Best for Poor People." Although the book does recycle some of the website's original content, it's still snarkily funny and well, true.
The Portland Mercury |
Kiala Kazebee |
07-03-2008 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
Darin Strauss's Third Novel Gets Under Readers' Skinsnew
Strauss cleverly constructing a story that burns and festers, leaving you slightly traumatized and utterly invested in the moment.
The Portland Mercury |
Courtney Ferguson |
06-27-2008 |
Fiction
Salman Rushdie Dives into Fantasynew
If he wants to write a meandering, 300-plus page historical fantasy novel that features epic battles, pirates, women who are dreamed into existence, and the odd witch's curse or two, who's going to tell him no?
The Portland Mercury |
Alsion Hallett |
06-13-2008 |
Fiction
Benjamin Nugent Takes a Hard Look at the Nerdsnew
Nugent dutifully tracks the origins of both the word and the aesthetic, in a two-part book that first examines the history of the nerd, and then wraps up with a less-interesting series of case studies of nerd subcultures.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallet |
05-23-2008 |
Nonfiction
Q&A with Bryan Lee O'Malley of Scott Pilgrim Booksnew
O'Malley is the 29-year-old creator of the popular comic book series that integrates familiar Gen Y tropes with fantasy elements borrowed from video games.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallet |
05-09-2008 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
