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Mini-review: "The Gravedigger's Daughter," by Joyce Carol Oates | May 12, 2008
Today's review: The supremely disappointing 2007 novel "The Gravedigger's Daughter," by revered academic author Joyce Carol Oates. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Heart-Shaped Box," by Joe Hill | May 8, 2008
Today's review: The surprise 2007 bestseller "Heart-Shaped Box," the debut novel of horror writer Joe Hill, not nearly as good a book as I thought it was going to be. Click through for the details. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Day of Empire," by Amy Chua | May 7, 2008
Today's book: The historical and political "Day of Empire" by futurist and law professor Amy Chua, which argues that all world-dominant societies throughout history share a freakishly small amount of traits, both during their ascendancies and their falls. Click through for more. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Somnambulist," by Jonathan Barnes | May 6, 2008
Today: The pretty good new steampunk novel "The Somnambulist," by British book critic Jonathan Barnes, along with some extended thoughts on what exactly steampunk is, and what the difference is between so-called genre fiction and mainstream. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Bringing Home the Birkin," by Michael Tonello | May 5, 2008
Today's book: The dazzling 2008 memoir "Bringing Home the Birkin," detailing one witty young man's globetrotting adventures buying up the notoriously scarce handbags and then reselling them on eBay for an insane markup. What a great book; click through for the reasons why. | Read entire entry
Your micro-review roundup: 3 May 2008 | May 3, 2008
A round-up of little tiny reviews for the last week or two, including four books and four movies. Click through for a lot more. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "The Island of Dr Moreau," by HG Wells | May 2, 2008
Today's book: The surprisingly exciting and disgusting 1896 medical thriller "The Island of Dr Moreau," by science-fiction godfather HG Wells. Is it a classic? Click through for my thoughts on the subject. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Gathering," by Anne Enright | April 29, 2008
Today's book: Anne Enright's "The Gathering," winner of the 2007 Booker Prize. Did it deserve it? As the reader of six of last year's nominees, I definitely have some thoughts on the matter; click through for the details. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "Mrs Dalloway," by Virginia Woolf | April 28, 2008
Today's book: The 1925 Modernist experimental masterpiece "Mrs Dalloway," by feminist icon Virginia Woolf. Is it a classic? Click through for my opinion and reasons. | Read entire entry
Literago and I both declare: "You will never see 'Chicago Lit 100' lists at our sites" | April 24, 2008
So have you heard about this "Brooklyn Lit 100" list that has everyone so up in arms? It inspired Eugenia Williamson of Literago to declare that they will never do a similar Chicago list; I thought this was a good idea, so have decided to declare it too. Click through for more! | Read entire entry
Book Versus Movie: "From Hell" | April 22, 2008
Today, the first in an irregular series of essays here at CCLaP -- a review of both the book and movie versions of the "Jack The Ripper" conspiracy tale "From Hell," the 1999 book by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, the 2001 movie by The Hughes Brothers. | Read entire entry
CCLaP Podcast 22: Author Nick Ostdick | April 21, 2008
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: A 45-minute talk with Chicago author, small publisher and event organizer Nick Ostdick (RAGAD, "Sunbeams and Cigarettes"). | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "Dracula," by Bram Stoker | April 19, 2008
Today's book: The 1897 Victorian horror novel "Dracula" by Bram Stoker, which single-handedly established the now overwhelmingly known vampire genre. Is it a classic? Click through for my thoughts and opinion. | Read entire entry
Your micro-review roundup: 13 April 2008 | April 13, 2008
One-paragraph reviews of five movies and two novels, none of them interesting enough to warrant full critical reviews of their own. Includes "The Name of the Rose," "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," "Closer," "Zeroville," "Beautiful Children," "The Illusionist" and "Funny Games." | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "The Gods Themselves," by Isaac Asimov | April 11, 2008
Today's book: the 1972 Hugo and Nebula winner "The Gods Themselves," by Golden-Age science-fiction author Isaac Asimov. Is it a classic? Click through for my thoughts. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Black Hole," by Charles Burns | April 9, 2008
Today's review: The 2005 epic graphic-novel "Black Hole," by comics veteran and "Believer" cover artist Charles Burns. | Read entire entry
Tales From the Completist: "The Long Goodbye," by Raymond Chandler | April 8, 2008
Today's book: the brilliant 1953 detective novel "The Long Goodbye" by Raymond Chandler, which happens to be this spring's choice for the "One Book One Chicago" program. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "The Republic," by Plato | April 4, 2008
Today's book: Plato's "The Republic" from approximately 360 BC, the book that single-handedly defined the way most of our modern Western governments currently work. Is it a classic still worth reading today? Click through for my thoughts. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Trip," by Mick MacO | April 3, 2008
Today's review: The self-published 2008 European confessional travelogue "Trip," by Irish graphic designer living in Germany "Mick MacO." | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Now And Forever," by Ray Bradbury | April 2, 2008
Today's review: "Now And Forever," a collection of two brand-new (2007) novellas by genre legend Ray Bradbury. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Gum Thief," by Douglas Coupland | March 31, 2008
Today's book: 2007's dark and sad "The Gum Thief," the latest by legendary hipster novelist Douglas Coupland ("Generation X," "Microserfs"). | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "Washington Square," by Henry James | March 28, 2008
Today's book: The slim 1880 "slice of life" story "Washington Square," by realist-fiction master Henry James. Is it a classic? Click through for my thoughts on the subject. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Boy Detective Fails," by Joe Meno | March 27, 2008
Today's book: The brilliantly unique 2006 modern fairytale "The Boy Detective Fails," by Chicago cult favorite Joe Meno. | Read entire entry
Obsession of the moment: "The Reprover/Le Réprobateur" | March 27, 2008
Today's obsession: The witty, experimental hyperfiction project "The Reprover/Le Réprobateur," by French artist and CCLaP reader François Coulon. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Via Dolorosa," by Ronald Malfi | March 26, 2008
Today's book: The minimalist, atmospheric horror story "Via Dolorosa," by experimental writer Ronald Malfi. | Read entire entry
Scott Sigler's first traditional book comes out in a few days | March 26, 2008
Today, some news from an acquaintance of mine, author and "podbook" wunderkind Scott Sigler; that his very first traditional paper novel, a technothriller called "Infected," is finally being released in a few days. Click through for a lot more. | Read entire entry
Book review: "World War Z," by Max Brooks | March 25, 2008
Today's book: The surprisingly brilliant fake oral history of a zombie apocalyptic war, "World War Z," by the surprisingly intelligent and serious Max Brooks (son of comedy veteran Mel Brooks). | Read entire entry
If CCLaP laid out a new classic book, which would you rather see? | March 23, 2008
I'm thinking of doing a new layout of an obscure "classic" book, one of the titles I'll be reviewing later this year as part of the CCLaP 100 essays, in a variety of formats for free download and hopefully a little publicity for the center. But which book should I do? Click through for the choices and to vote in CCLaP's online poll. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "The Catcher in the Rye," by JD Salinger | March 21, 2008
Today's book: 1951's "The Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger, which fans claim single-handedly kicked off the entire genre now known as "Confessional Young Adult." Is it a classic, though? Click through for my thoughts. | Read entire entry
Obsession of the moment: Google Docs as mobile eText reader | March 17, 2008
Today, a simple "lifehack" to share -- how I use the free online webapp "Google Docs" as a surprisingly good eBook reader for my mobile device. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea," by Jules Verne | March 14, 2008
Today's book: 1870's prototypical science-fiction tale "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne, inspiration behind a million young boys' adventuring fantasies for a century and a half. Classic? No? Click through for my opinion. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Shakespeare: The World as Stage," by Bill Bryson | March 13, 2008
Today's review: The delightful 2007 slim and accessible guide to William Shakespeare, travel writer Bill Bryson's "Shakespeare: The World as Stage." | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "The Name of the Rose," by Umberto Eco | March 11, 2008
Today's book: The brilliant 1980 Medieval murder mystery / deceptively complex meditation on semiotics "The Name of the Rose," by Italian history professor and postmodernist Umberto Eco. Is it a classic? Click through for my opinion, and the reasons why. | Read entire entry
Personal essay: Regarding the "magic middle" of the independent arts. | March 5, 2008
For those who don't know, creative guru Kevin Kelly published a fascinating article this week, positing that it's easier than ever for independent artists to make a working living. Today, my thoughts on the essay, and what it has to do with Dave Sifry's theory of the blogosphere's "magic middle." | Read entire entry
Holy crap, the new Chicago Public Library website looks great! | March 5, 2008
Wow, the Chicago Public Library system overhauled its website this week -- and it's freaking great! Click through for all the details, as well as copious links. | Read entire entry
Too awful to finish: "Engleby," by Sebastian Faulks | March 3, 2008
Today's book under trial: The virtually plotless 2007 novel "Engleby," by Sebastian Faulks. Ugh, this book drove me crazy; click through for the reasons why. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," by Mark Twain | February 29, 2008
Today's book: the 1876 "American Pastoral" novel "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," a fictionalized small-town childhood memoir by political satirist Mark Twain. Is it a classic? Click through for my opinion and comments. | Read entire entry
Surprise bestseller "Beautiful Children" is free online for next two days | February 28, 2008
Interesting news from Random House today: that for a very short period of time, they will be giving away completely free PDF copies of surprise bestseller "Beautiful Children" by Charles Bock, no strings attached. Click through for the details and links. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Matala," by Craig Holden | February 26, 2008
Today's review: The slim and problem-filled 2007 noir thriller "Matala," by genre serf Craig Holden, picked up completely randomly at my neighborhood library a few weeks ago. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: The Ripley Trilogy, by Patricia Highsmith | February 25, 2008
Today's review: The crime-fiction trilogy revolving around Tom Ripley (1955-1972), by Patricia Highsmith. Smartly-done genre pieces that helped defined the industry, or true classics that you should read before you die? Click through for my opinion. | Read entire entry
New basement distro is looking for your used classics | February 25, 2008
Today, news of a new used-book distribution company in the St. Louis area called "sticks and stones," started up by my friend Michael Franklin, and how they are in need of your used classics. Click through for a lot more. | Read entire entry
CCLaP Podcast 20: 37signals' Jason Fried | February 19, 2008
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: An interview with tech guru and gentleman philosopher Jason Fried, one of the founders of highly popular Chicago software company 37signals. | Read entire entry
Another "Literary Death Match" coming to San Francisco soon | February 18, 2008
A little news today from CCLaP friend Todd Zuniga; that his magazine "Opium" is holding their sixth "Literary Death Match" soon in San Francisco. Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Clown Girl," by Monica Drake | February 15, 2008
Today's review: The cultishly popular 2006 novel "Clown Girl," an inventive metaphor about corporate life and the debut novel of Monica Drake, which sadly enough I just didn't care for. | Read entire entry
Tales from the Completist: "The Solitudes," by John Crowley | February 13, 2008
Today's book: The cultishly loved trippy academic 1987 fantasy novel "The Solitudes" by John Crowley, part 1 of the massively complicated saga "AEgypt." | Read entire entry
Toronto Public Library hosting "Michael Redhill month" online | February 12, 2008
Today, some interesting news to share from the Toronto Public Library; their online discussion club, Book Buzz, is this month featuring Michael Redhill of "Consolation" (a well-regarded Booker nominee), including lots of supplemental information. Click through for more! | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "The Man Who Was Thursday," by GK Chesterton | February 8, 2008
Today's book: The 1908 detective tale/absurdist comedy "The Man Who Was Thursday," by quirky ahead-of-his-time genre master and Modernism precursor GK Chesterton. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Abstinence Teacher," by Tom Perrotta | February 7, 2008
Today's book: The surprisingly disappointing 2007 novel "The Abstinence Teacher" by Tom Perrotta, a fuzzy and unfocused copy of his much better "Little Children." | Read entire entry
And speaking of classics... | February 5, 2008
Hey, thanks for all the nice emails and comments so far regarding the CCLaP 100 list! In fact, so many readers have been sending their own recommendations for online guides to the classics, I thought I'd finally collect them into a public entry for all of you as well. Click through as always for the details. | Read entire entry
Chicago Women In Publishing is having an interesting panel soon | February 5, 2008
A little news today from CCLaP friend Chris Benevich of MediaBistro; that the group Chicago Women In Publishing will be holding an interesting panel discussion soon, regarding how to best negotiate contracts when you're a freelancer. Click through for the details! | Read entire entry
Book review: "Bridge of Sighs," by Richard Russo | February 4, 2008
Today's book: The slow-moving 2007 small-town epic "Bridge of Sighs," by former Pulitzer winner Richard Russo ("Empire Falls"). | Read entire entry
Field report: The Fixx reading series | February 1, 2008
Today, photos and a write-up from my recent attendance of The Fixx reading series, a monthly event here in Chicago hosted by author and raconteur Amy Güth. This particular month featured Scott Korb and Peter Bebergal, co-authors of the book of essays "The Faith Between Us." | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Almost Moon," by Alice Sebold | January 24, 2008
Today's book: The delightfully twisted thriller about senile monsters and insane daughters, Alice Sebold's "The Almost Moon." | Read entire entry
Jeremy Shipp's "Vacation" snags a surprise Stoker nomination | January 23, 2008
Just a little news about a book that was recently featured here; that the trippy alt-horror novel "Vacation" by Jeremy Shipp has picked up a surprise "First Novel" nomination for the Stoker Awards, which usually honors traditional horror. | Read entire entry
Book review: "by George," by Wesley Stace | January 21, 2008
Today's book: The surprisingly epic tale of a British family of stage performers, the brilliant "by George" by Wesley Stace (aka musician John Wesley Harding). | Read entire entry
Field report: RAGAD #5 release party | January 21, 2008
Today, a report and photographs from the release party for issue 5 of Chicago literary magazine RAGAD, run by CCLaP friend and reader Nick Ostdick. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "The Great Gatsby," by F Scott Fitzgerald | January 18, 2008
Today's book: The 1925 stunning look at the Jazz Age, "The Great Gatsby" by F Scott Fitzgerald, the book that inspired the term "Great American Novel" in the first place. Is it a classic? Click through for my own opinion, now that I've finally read it myself. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Night Climbers," by Ivo Stourton | January 17, 2008
Today's book: The surprisingly smart intellectual/airport thriller "The Night Climbers," by first-time British novelist Ivo Stourton. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Halting State," by Charles Stross | January 15, 2008
Today's book: The unexpectedly disappointing MMO thriller "Halting State," by the usually-great science-fiction author Charles Stross. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "House of the Seven Gables," by Nathaniel Hawthorne | January 14, 2008
Today's book: The 1851 horror-story prototype "House of the Seven Gables," by American Romantic master Nathaniel Hawthorne ("The Scarlet Letter"). Does it deserve the "classic" label? Click through for my opinion, now that I've finally read it myself. | Read entire entry
Obsession of the moment: Protagonize.com | January 10, 2008
Today's obsession: The collaborative "Choose Your Own Adventure" style literary website, Protagonize.com. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Petropolis," by Anya Ulinich | January 8, 2008
Today's book: The delightfully black, blackly delightful Russian immigrant tale Petropolis, by Russian-American snarky intellectual Anya Ulinich. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Vacation," by Jeremy Shipp | January 4, 2008
Today's book: The delightfully strange "Vacation" by Jeremy Shipp, about as great as "weird literature" gets. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "Great Expectations," by Charles Dickens | January 4, 2008
Today's book: The 1861 Victorian social drama "Great Expectations," by Charles Dickens. Is it truly a classic? Click through for my opinion, now that I've read it myself. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Crooked Little Vein," by Warren Ellis | January 2, 2008
Today's book: The darkly hilarious look at America's very real fringe underbelly, "Crooked Little Vein," the first novel by transgressive comics veteran Warren Ellis. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "The Bird is a Raven," by Benjamin Lebert | January 2, 2008
Today's review: The mostly disappointing 2005 "The Bird is a Raven," the latest "novel" (read: barely a novella) from German literary wunderkind Benjamin Lebert ("Crazy"). | Read entire entry
Personal essay: The Year in Books, 2007 | December 31, 2007
Today, CCLaP's look at the year in books for 2007; not a look at the entire industry, of course, but rather the 50 or so books I personally got to read and review this year, including new synopses of the ones I found the best. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Three Fallen Women," by Amy Güth | December 27, 2007
Today's book: The black-as-coal look at three middle-agers recovering from breakdowns, Chicago author Amy Güth's frustrating but rewarding "Three Fallen Women." | Read entire entry
Congratulations to Nathan Rabin and his "Year of Flops" | December 27, 2007
Today, a small fan entry about a group that usually gets nothing but criticism, the 800-pound indie gorilla The Onion; specifically, an entry about how much I loved Nathan Rabin's essay series "My Year of Flops," which is just about to end its remarkable run. | Read entire entry
Obsession of the moment: Afterworld | December 21, 2007
Today's obsession: The new online "vertical science-fiction project" Afterworld, which not only uses multiple media to tell its story but also to distribute its content. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible's Harlot Queen," by Lesley Hazleton | December 20, 2007
Today's book: The fascinating but instantly controversial "Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible's Harlot Queen," by Hebrew scholar and Middle East journalist Lesley Hazleton. | Read entire entry
CCLaP Podcast 19: Author Ben Tanzer | December 18, 2007
Today's episode: An interview with Chicago writer Ben Tanzer, author of the coming-of-age novel "Lucky Man," specifically on the trials and tribulations of being a working day-to-day artist in a large Midwestern city. | Read entire entry
The Ridiculously Long Guide to CCLaP's 10-Point Scoring System | December 17, 2007
I'm putting together CCLaP first-ever top-ten list of the year right now, and realized something important recently -- that I've never really explained how the 10-point scoring system here works. Today, the ridiculously long and overwritten guide. | Read entire entry
Tales from the Completist: "Hairstyles of the Damned," by Joe Meno | December 17, 2007
Today's book: "Hairstyles of the Damned," the 2004 fictionalized memoir of growing up punk on Chicago's southwest side in the 1980s and '90s, by Columbia College professor Joe Meno. | Read entire entry
Book review: "A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers," by Xiaolu Guo | December 11, 2007
Today's book: The delightfully romantic "A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers," a look at an Asian immigrant's first year in the West, by Orange Prize nominee Xiaolu Guo. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Whole," by John Reed | December 7, 2007
Today's book: The trippy, experimental, definitely-not-for-everyone "The Whole," by John Reed. | Read entire entry
Book review: "No one belongs here more than you.," by Miranda July | December 6, 2007
Today's book: The story collection "No one belongs here more than you.," by multi-faceted independent artist Miranda July. | Read entire entry
Obsession of the moment: Monitor Mix | December 5, 2007
Today's obsession: The new National Public Radio blog "Monitor Mix," written by former Sleater-Kinney guitarist and current "ThunderAnt" comedian Carrie Brownstein. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Tree of Smoke," by Denis Johnson | December 5, 2007
Today's book: The Vietnam saga "Tree of Smoke" by Denis Johnson, winner of this year's National Book Award. | Read entire entry
Personal essay: Announcing the CCLaP 100 | December 3, 2007
Announcing a new project: A list of 100 so-called "classic" books, all of which I'll be hopefully reading and writing essays about over the next two years. Here today, the master list, as well as the reasons why I decided to put it together. | Read entire entry
So did I not mention CCLaP's upcoming publishing program? | December 1, 2007
An offhanded remark at the website last Friday, followed by two dozen emails from frazzled writers and editors in 48 hours, makes me realize: I never really have explained CCLaP's upcoming publishing plans. Today, all the details. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Lucky Man," by Ben Tanzer | November 30, 2007
Today's book: The great although relentlessly dark coming-of-age tale "Lucky Man," the debut novel of Chicago writer Ben Tanzer. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Road," by Cormac McCarthy | November 16, 2007
Today's book: The Pulitzer-winning "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, only the second book of 2007 to receive a perfect score here at CCLaP. | Read entire entry
Obsession of the moment: LostAtEMinor.com | November 16, 2007
Today's obsession: The highly addictive pop-culture journal LostAtEMinor.com. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Shining at the Bottom of the Sea," by Stephen Marche | November 15, 2007
Today's review: The brilliant "Shining at the Bottom of the Sea" by Stephen Marche, a comprehensive literary history of a country in the British Commonwealth that doesn't actually exist. | Read entire entry
Too awful to finish: "New Bedlam," by Bill Flanagan | November 14, 2007
Today, the borderline-offensive novel about annoying television executives, "New Bedlam," by real-life MTV executive Bill Flanagan. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "The Black Sun," by James Twining | November 14, 2007
Today, the 2007 hidden secret Nazi gold action adventure potboiler "Black Sun," by James Twining. | Read entire entry
Book review: "After Dark," by Haruki Murakami | November 5, 2007
Today's book: The surprisingly accessible "After Dark," the latest novel by the amazing Haruki Murakami. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Grand Avenues," by Scott Berg | November 2, 2007
Today's book: The excellent and intelligent look at the founding of Washington DC, historian Scott Berg's "Grand Avenues." | Read entire entry
CCLaP Podcast 14: Author Elizabeth Crane | October 22, 2007
Today's episode: A half-hour conversation with Chicago writer Elizabeth Crane, author of the story collections "When the Messenger is Hot" and "All This Heavenly Glory." | Read entire entry
Tales from the Completist: "The Eyre Affair," by Jasper Fforde | October 19, 2007
Today's book: The delightful and outlandishly inventive speculative novel "The Eyre Affair," by witty British author Jasper Fforde. | Read entire entry
Personal essay: Nathaniel Hawthorne, DailyLit, and the Penny Dreadful 2.0. | October 15, 2007
I started reading the classic Hawthorne proto-horror novel "House of the Seven Gables" today, in my case through a cool free online service called DailyLit. Today, some thoughts inspired by the process, as well as the possible future of online serial publishing. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Chess Machine," by Robert Lohr | October 12, 2007
Today's book: The delightful steampunk/historial-fiction action-adventure hybrid "The Chess Machine," by German author Robert Lohr, unbelievably enough based on a true story on top of everything else. | Read entire entry
National Book Award nominees are announced | October 10, 2007
They're here -- the nominees for the 2007 National Book Award have just been announced. Click through for all the details. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Growing Up Moffett," by Sarah Moffett | October 9, 2007
Today's book: The Christian-heavy cancer-coping personal memoir "Growing Up Moffett," by Washington DC attorney Sarah Moffett. | Read entire entry
CCLaP Podcast 13: Reading Under the Influence | October 8, 2007
Today's episode: An eight-minute video report from the fun monthly drunken Chicago literary event "Reading Under the Influence." | Read entire entry
Tales from the Completist: "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom," by Cory Doctorow | October 5, 2007
Today's book: The brilliant first novel by science-fiction author and political activist Cory Doctorow, 2003's gonzo sci-fi tale "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom." | Read entire entry
Obsession of the moment: Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! | October 4, 2007
Today's obsession: The National Public Radio humorous game show "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!," which I'm probably the last intellectual in America to actually learn about. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Kitchen," by Banana Yoshimoto | October 1, 2007
Today's review: The delightful contemporary Japanese tale "Kitchen," by postmodernist author Banana Yoshimoto. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Interview with the Vampire," by Anne Rice | October 1, 2007
Today's review: The Southern Gothic dark erotic vampire tale that started them all, 1976's "Interview with the Vampire" by Anne Rice. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Lolita," by Vladimir Nabokov | October 1, 2007
Today's review: The classic 1955 tale of forbidden lust and American strip malls, "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," by Arthur Conan Doyle | October 1, 2007
Today's review: The classic beginning example of detective fiction, "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" by Arthur Conan Doyle, first published in book form in 1892. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Atlas Shrugged," by Ayn Rand | October 1, 2007
Today's review: The 1957 Objectivist classic "Atlas Shrugged," by Ayn Rand. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Something Wicked This Way Comes," by Ray Bradbury | October 1, 2007
Today's review: The creepy 1962 dark fantasy tale "Something Wicked This Way Comes," by Ray Bradbury, which in our modern times doubles as a great story about a lost bucolic rural time in American history as well. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Foundation," by Isaac Asimov | October 1, 2007
Today's review: The 1951 science-fiction novel "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov, the start of what many consider the greatest SF series in the history of the genre. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Dune," by Frank Herbert | October 1, 2007
Today's review: The groundbreaking 1965 science-fiction classic "Dune," by Frank Herbert. | Read entire entry
Book review: "On Chesil Beach," by Ian McEwan | September 26, 2007
Today's book: The delicate "On Chesil Beach" by Ian McEwan, considered by many to be the favorite among this year's Booker Prize nominees. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Consolation," by Michael Redhill | September 25, 2007
Today's book: The Toronto-based family drama / historical tale "Consolation," by Michael Redhill, also a nominee for the 2007 Booker Prize. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Welsh Girl," by Peter Ho Davies | September 24, 2007
Today's book: The World War II British love story (and 2007 Booker nominee) "The Welsh Girl," by Peter Ho Davies. | Read entire entry
Personal essay: Where to start when you know no one and nothing. | September 17, 2007
A reader email this weekend gets me thinking on my past; specifically, what advice I have to artists just starting out, and who have just moved to big cities where they know no one and nothing about how that "scene" works. Today, I share that advice. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Reluctant Fundamentalist," by Mohsin Hamid | September 12, 2007
Today's book: The terrorist black comedy and 2007 Booker Prize nominee "The Reluctant Fundamantalist," by Mohsin Hamid. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Mister Pip," by Lloyd Jones | September 11, 2007
Today's book: The 2007 Booker Prize nominee "Mister Pip," by New Zealander Lloyd Jones. | Read entire entry
CCLaP Podcast 11: Uptown Writers Space | September 10, 2007
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: An interview with Julie Saltzman and Susan Karp, co-founders of the Uptown Writers Space in my Chicago neighborhood, along with an "audio tour" of the facilities supplemented with still photos. Click through to listen and see for yourself. | Read entire entry
CCLaP Podcast 10: PursueThePassion.com's Brett Farmiloe | September 4, 2007
Today's episode: A talk with Brett Farmiloe, founder of the intriguing creativity/business website PursueThePassion.com. | Read entire entry
The latest "One Book, One Chicago" pick is announced | August 31, 2007
And it's none other than Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," the 1953 scathing indictment of the McCarthy communist witch-hunt going on at the time. Click through for more on the book, on this interesting Chicago arts program, and what exactly will be going on in the city this fall because of it. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Exception," by Christian Jungersen | August 30, 2007
Today: The controversial look at fascist behavior within a Danish ultra-liberal office, Christian Jungersen's "The Exception." | Read entire entry
GoodReads database hits 5 million books | August 30, 2007
Good news for literary social network GoodReads.com; they recently had their five millionth book added by a user to their central database. More in today's entry, plus some thoughts on the elusive nature of literary-social-network competition. | Read entire entry
Obsession of the moment: BookSwim.com | August 27, 2007
Today's obsession: New "Netflix for books" service BookSwim.com. Pay a flat fee per month, check out a certain amount of books, which are shipped for free and which you can ship back for free. Good service? Bad? Check this entry's comments for more! | Read entire entry
Book review: "Right Livelihoods," by Rick Moody | August 17, 2007
Today's book: The novella collection "Right Livelihoods," by indie-press sex symbol Rick Moody. | Read entire entry
Book review: "dermaphoria," by Craig Clevenger | August 16, 2007
Today's book: The trippy, cutting-edge experiment in fantastical literature, Craig Clevenger's "dermaphoria." | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Uses of Enchantment," by Heidi Julavits | August 9, 2007
Today: The delightfully twisted and surprisingly complex tale of a repressed New England teenage girl in the 1980s, Heidi Julavits' "The Uses of Enchantment." | Read entire entry
Too awful to finish: "The Traveler," by John Twelve Hawks | August 7, 2007
Today's book: The truly excruciating science-fiction thriller and "Matrix" ripoff "The Traveler," by the anonymous author who goes by the moniker "John Twelve Hawks" in public. Yeah, I'd hide my name too, if I were the one to write this stinker. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Dissident," by Nell Freudenberger | August 2, 2007
Today's book: The unfortunately awful cross-cultural comedy of manners "The Dissident," the first novel by award-winning short-story writer Nell Freudenberger. | Read entire entry
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new Poet Laureate | August 2, 2007
And it's Charles Simic, as a matter of fact, a Surrealist poet originally from the former Yugoslavia, currently the co-Poetry Editor of the Paris Review. Click through for all the details. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "The Giant's House," by Elizabeth McCracken | August 1, 2007
Today's review: The 1996 novel "The Giant's House," by Elizabeth McCracken. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Me and Kev," by Simon Black | August 1, 2007
Today's review: The 1993 novel "Me and Kev," by Simon Black. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Independence Day," by Richard Ford | August 1, 2007
Today's review: The 1996 Pulitzer-winning novel "Independence Day," by Richard Ford. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "The Redneck Manifesto," by Jim Goad | August 1, 2007
Today's review: The 1997 book of controversial race and class essays, "The Redneck Manifesto" by Jim Goad. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature," by Neal Pollack | August 1, 2007
Today's review: The 2002 humor book "The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature," by Neal Pollack. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Shock Treatment," by Karen Finley | August 1, 2007
Today's review: The 1990 book of essays and poetry "Shock Treatment," by Karen Finley. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Layover," by Lisa Zeidner | August 1, 2007
Today's review: The 2000 erotic thriller "Layover," by Lisa Zeidner. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Exquisite Corpse," by Poppy Z Brite | August 1, 2007
Today's review: The 1997 darkly erotic novel "Exquisite Corpse," by Poppy Z Brite. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Lords of Chaos," by Michael Moynihan and Didrik Soderlind | August 1, 2007
Today's review: The 1998 nonfiction look at the Scandinavian death-metal scene, "Lords of Chaos." | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Lucky Wander Boy," by DB Weiss | August 1, 2007
Today's review: The 2003 novel "Lucky Wander Boy" by DB Weiss. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Barrel Fever," by David Sedaris | August 1, 2007
Today's review: The 1995 humorous story collection "Barrel Fever," by David Sedaris. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Vox," by Nicholson Baker | August 1, 2007
Today's review: The 1993 novel "Vox" by Nicholson Baker. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "The Fermata," by Nicholson Baker | August 1, 2007
Today's review: The 1995 novel "The Fermata," by Nicholson Baker. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Exposure," by Kathryn Harrison | August 1, 2007
Today's review: The 1994 novel "Exposure" by Kathryn Harrison. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "The Loving Dominant," by John Warren | August 1, 2007
Today's review: the 2000 nonfiction guide to the BDSM community, "The Loving Dominant" by John Warren. | Read entire entry