books, life, and the city

Pen & Ink

Chinese Takeout

June 4, 2012 @ 8:17am

Well, I’m finally here. I’m a little exhausted and a little elated. I’ve finished Praying for Sheetrock and have started on a new book that a friend lent me — Chinese Takeout by Arthur Nersesian. So far I’m not quite sure what I think of it. Nersesian is incredibly talented at representing the creative process of an artist in a way I can relate to, but I’m not completely drawn into the story yet. It’s still early, though, so I’ll update this post when I’ve read further.

But for now, I need to leave my cozy neighborhood coffee shop and head to the Woolworth Building for my first day of class!

June 2, 2012 @ 12:00am 31 notes
coverjunkie: Metropoli (Spain) New La Luna de Metrópoli magazine, the weekly supplement of Spanish newspaper El Mundo Ace art direction by Rodrigo Sánchez, read here about his favorite covers on this special Coverjunkie post and here about his exhibition at La Casa Encendida museum last year in Madrid I almost forgot that this program had a significant magazine component. I’m naturally interested in books, as I’m a fiction writer, and I have a fairly significant background in newspaper journalism, so magazines just aren’t something I think about a lot (except, of course, when my New Yorkers come every week). I’m excited, though, to learn more about the magazine industry and how it’s adapting, changing, and succeeding. It’s really something I know nothing about, so I’m going to follow this blog in order to try to get up to speed. I love good design in all forms, so this is going to be a great adventure.

coverjunkie:

Metropoli (Spain)

New La Luna de Metrópoli magazine, the weekly supplement of Spanish newspaper El Mundo 

Ace art direction by Rodrigo Sánchez, read here about his favorite covers on this special Coverjunkie post and here about his exhibition at La Casa Encendida museum last year in Madrid
I almost forgot that this program had a significant magazine component. I’m naturally interested in books, as I’m a fiction writer, and I have a fairly significant background in newspaper journalism, so magazines just aren’t something I think about a lot (except, of course, when my New Yorkers come every week). I’m excited, though, to learn more about the magazine industry and how it’s adapting, changing, and succeeding. It’s really something I know nothing about, so I’m going to follow this blog in order to try to get up to speed. I love good design in all forms, so this is going to be a great adventure.

June 1, 2012 @ 12:00am 43 notes
unypl: “The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love,” by Kristin Kimball  I love the idea of the Underground New York Public Library. I’m getting really excited about my move and about living somewhere with functional public transportation. When I was studying at the University of Paris I had a 40-minute commute on the Metro to get to my classes. At first, I kind of resented it, but as time went on, I really started relishing that part of my day. It was a chance to eat a pastry, sit down, and — most importantly — to read. Since it was Paris, reading also involved a healthy dose of people-watching, and the subtle ability to check out what other people were reading was a skill I developed. I guess I’ll have to get back in subway-reading shape. unypl: “The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love,” by Kristin Kimball  I love the idea of the Underground New York Public Library. I’m getting really excited about my move and about living somewhere with functional public transportation. When I was studying at the University of Paris I had a 40-minute commute on the Metro to get to my classes. At first, I kind of resented it, but as time went on, I really started relishing that part of my day. It was a chance to eat a pastry, sit down, and — most importantly — to read. Since it was Paris, reading also involved a healthy dose of people-watching, and the subtle ability to check out what other people were reading was a skill I developed. I guess I’ll have to get back in subway-reading shape.

unypl:

“The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love,” by Kristin Kimball 

I love the idea of the Underground New York Public Library. I’m getting really excited about my move and about living somewhere with functional public transportation. When I was studying at the University of Paris I had a 40-minute commute on the Metro to get to my classes. At first, I kind of resented it, but as time went on, I really started relishing that part of my day. It was a chance to eat a pastry, sit down, and — most importantly — to read. Since it was Paris, reading also involved a healthy dose of people-watching, and the subtle ability to check out what other people were reading was a skill I developed. I guess I’ll have to get back in subway-reading shape.

Praying for Sheetrock

May 27, 2012 @ 12:00am

A few years ago, my father picked up a copy of Praying for Sheetrock at some local book festival back home. He immediately devoured it, became obsessed with it, and it turned into a family in-joke. We made fun of him for it for so long that he eventually went out and got everyone in the family signed copies. I’m finally getting around to reading it and I definitely understand his obsession.

It’s the kind of Southern grotesque story that I’ve lived — and that Flannery O’Connor could only dream of making up. Corrupt sheriffs, unlikely heroes, and unbelievable stories weave their way around the larger narrative of a county left behind by progress.
I actually wrote my senior thesis as an exploration of my bizarre, small Southern hometown and its stories, so this book is becoming a strange reflection of those.

But while my thesis (a full-length play) was almost entirely fictional, this story is both larger-than-life and completely true. I can’t even imagine the research Melissa Faye Greene must have had to do for this book.

An Introduction

May 24, 2012 @ 12:00am

Hi, I’m Maxine. I just graduated from Emory University this past spring and am about to head to New York City for NYU’s Summer Publishing Institute. Here are my thoughts about books — how they’re published, what I’m learning about them, which ones people are reading, and so on. I’m definitely trying to post mini-reviews of the books I read as well as commentary on articles and photos I reblog. If you have any questions, just ask!