James Frey's new novel will be published next summer by Harper Collins (WSJ). Unbroken by his hour-long scolding at the hands of Ms O a year and a half ago, Frey is back with Bright, Shiny Morning, a story set in today's Southern California, much like Frey's own life as a screenwriter.I'm sure the critics … Continue reading Falling Up

The Guardian has posted a quick overview of this year's Man Booker Prize shortlist nominees. The parodic summaries are distilled from the paper's ongoing feature, "The Digested Read," which--as I've mentioned earlier--is extremely useful for folks (like me) who want to be opinionated, but don't have the time to read everything coming down the pike.The … Continue reading Booker Prize Roundup: Bonus Edition

This one is the Post-9/11 South Asian Allegorical One. The protaganist is Changez; his girlfriend is Erica. When, after September 11, America changes (ummm... Erica... Changez... get it?) our anti-hero becomes the reluctant fundamentalist of the title. The novel is a single evening's monologue, as Changez recounts his tale to a traveler visiting Pakistan.Good review: … Continue reading Booker Prize Roundup: The Reluctant Fundamentalist