What literature is written about Spain or the experience of living in Spain by American authors? [more inside]
posted on Apr 6, 2008 - 17 answers

How do I pronounce some of my favorite authors' names? (Names inside.) [more inside]
posted on Mar 26, 2008 - 26 answers

My brother is being tormented by being unable to identify a mental image of a photograph of a man who he believes to be an author. He can't recall a lot of details, but here's what he has; I told him if anyone could help, it would be you guys, so don't let me down. :) - Male, relatively young, dark hair, beard - Probably an author, or if not, at least someone well-known - Possibly German or Russian, maybe of Jewish descent - Name may be Joseph or something similar, but not Stalin - Pretty sure it's a black & white photograph, which probably places him in the early 20th century I know this isn't a lot of information, but I figured it was worth a try.... Thanks!
posted on Mar 17, 2008 - 27 answers

I've been reading 'New Kings of Nonfiction' by Ira Glass and love it. I want to read more articles and books in this vein. [more inside]
posted on Feb 27, 2008 - 7 answers

In your opinion, who are the best female science fiction authors? What are the best scifi books written by women? [more inside]
posted on Feb 8, 2008 - 105 answers

Is there any resource online that lists fiction (and possibly non-fiction) authors by age? [more inside]
posted on Dec 29, 2007 - 5 answers

What'sThatBookFilter: A not-recent, nonfiction book by a female editor in which she, among other things, writes letters to her authors? [more inside]
posted on Dec 21, 2007 - 3 answers

Lit-crit/what the hell is the word I'm looking for? [more inside]
posted on Dec 2, 2007 - 23 answers

Smallish bunch of creative writer-types (who've met up in person a couple of times) would like somewhere to hang out online: please suggest what kind of website might suit us best. [more inside]
posted on Nov 28, 2007 - 5 answers

Need female russian authors with two syllable names. To name a dog. [more inside]
posted on Nov 11, 2007 - 13 answers

Is Iain Banks' new book, The Steep Approach to Garbadale worth buying? [more inside]
posted on Sep 19, 2007 - 33 answers

Who are some literary figures who either 1) had a knack for words or 2) who analyzed other people's words?
posted on Aug 7, 2007 - 24 answers

Help me find novelists that are similar to Tom Robbins. [more inside]
posted on Jun 20, 2007 - 24 answers

Our group blog (WordPress 2.1.1) confuses our IDs, and so sends email notifications to the wrong author. Also, this screws up loads of other stuff too. [more inside]
posted on May 21, 2007 - 10 answers

I just found out that the dystopian/futuristic movie Children of Men is based on a novel by P.D. James. It made me think of the excellent short story The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster. It made me wonder: are other examples of mainstream authors experimenting with speculative fiction? [more inside]
posted on Apr 22, 2007 - 36 answers

As I get older (and possibly more cantankerous) I'm becoming less willing to spend good money on potentially bad books (well, maybe not bad per se, but books I don't enjoy). Once upon a time, in the increasingly dim past, I used to purchase many books on the assumption that some would prove worth reading. Now, books are becoming increasingly expensive in Australia, and I'm consequently becoming more and more demanding that the book be worth reading before I part with my cash. [more inside]
posted on Apr 15, 2007 - 41 answers

The author of THE PRINCESS BRIDE and BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID doesn't have a website or any other presence on the web. I'd like to write to him. It's not so easy as simply writing to his publisher, as he isn't releasing novels or nonfiction these days, so I'm not sure who his publisher would be. Apparently he's spending his twilight years touching up screenplays for other writers. At any rate, I'd like to send him a letter. He lives in New York. Sadly, "William Goldman" is a fairly common name in NYC, so my search isn't getting very far.
posted on Mar 1, 2007 - 31 answers

Help me to let go of my bias against women's fiction. What fiction books written by women would a "real" man like? [more inside]
posted on Feb 13, 2007 - 77 answers

Looking for inspiration in two kinds of books. Perhaps you've got some recommendations? 1) Novels with very short "chapters" or fragments or pieces, that combine to make a whole; 2) Books boldly written, whether that be a writer being bold with timelines, punctuation, language, etc. (examples of both types of books inside). [more inside]
posted on Dec 6, 2006 - 54 answers

A notable saying by an author. I would like to find out who the author is. [more inside]
posted on Nov 8, 2006 - 4 answers

Who are scholars and/or popular authors writing on the impact of the Internet as a communications medium, specifically those talking about how the Internet removes previous time and/or space biases that are inevitably present in other forms of communication technology (telephone, television, radio, etc.)? [more inside]
posted on Nov 1, 2006 - 10 answers

Can a woman write a novel like a man? [more inside]
posted on Oct 25, 2006 - 103 answers

What do you like about your literary agent? [more inside]
posted on Sep 12, 2006 - 9 answers

I'm looking for books by famous people that they wrote early in their career or under a nom de plume. [more inside]
posted on Jul 26, 2006 - 25 answers

How to (tactfully and successfully) get some major names to look at some of my writing? Of course there is [more inside]
posted on Jul 18, 2006 - 18 answers

Why do some authors cross out their own printed name when they sign their books? [more inside]
posted on Jun 25, 2006 - 23 answers

I've forgotten the name of an author I used to read as a child. His last name ended in "aard", I think, and maybe started with a K or an L? He wrote a number of books about dogs... [more inside]
posted on May 25, 2006 - 14 answers

Song ideas for a mix tape themed around writers and/or literature, please. [more inside]
posted on Apr 30, 2006 - 63 answers

Which famous sci-fi author bet another author that if he wrote the worst book he could, it would become a hit? [more inside]
posted on Mar 21, 2006 - 25 answers

Need more input! I need suggestions for games/reading/comics/music etc. [more inside]
posted on Mar 18, 2006 - 21 answers

Recent Canadian Lit. Recommendations? [more inside]
posted on Feb 25, 2006 - 24 answers

Oh dear. So I had this website that I spent a good couple of hours going over, but being at work, completely neglected to bookmark or save.

Defining characteristics?
It had a number of clever author/poet biographies, most of which I can remember were in the Byron Shelley Keats vein/era, and each of the authors' names had a made-up nickname inserted in the middle. As in... "William Butler 'Ghostie' Yeats" or somesuch. Also, there was a very nice glossary of musical piece definitions, most of which were words I was previously unfamiliar with. [more inside]
posted on Nov 20, 2005 - 10 answers

I recently read something about bias in the publishing industry, but can't find it now. The piece said that novels/books of poetry are mostly purchased by women, yet there are still significantly more men authors than women. Has anyone else read this and know where I can find the information again?
posted on Nov 14, 2005 - 3 answers

I went to a first meeting of a book club tonight, and it was an utter failure. We need, at the very least, a great book with broad appeal to discuss at our next meeting. [more inside]
posted on Oct 24, 2005 - 31 answers

I have a number of favourite authors - who I would buy books from - on spec - so I'm keen to know when their next work is coming out. Is there a site that tracks 'forthcoming' books...so I can plan ahead?
posted on Apr 10, 2005 - 5 answers

I'm trying to get into reading again, and am looking for fiction authors who write well-defined characters and seem genuinely to like people. [more inside]
posted on Mar 26, 2005 - 55 answers

After reading this fascinating thread, I'm curious: How many published authors are among our number? I'd love to see who's here and what kinds of books you've written.
posted on Dec 28, 2004 - 46 answers

Friends who write books: My question is simple. If a friend has had a book published (not their first by any means) by a well-known publisher and one notices several typos in the text, is it best not to mention them? Or is it polite to commiserate with said friend over the lack of thoroughness on the part of the publisher? I don't want to be rude, but I want to show that I really have read the book.
posted on Dec 10, 2004 - 16 answers

I recall reading an article critizing some of today's popular writers (Clancy and King were two I recall) for being bland or suffering from too much Strunk and White. What then are some modern writers who gush with their own, unique style?
posted on Nov 29, 2004 - 37 answers

I've been reading a lot of Hunter S. Thompson lately, and have become addicted to his "Gonzo journalism". Can anyone reccomend any weblogs, online zines or young authors that display that kind of brazen, muckraking writing style?
posted on Nov 1, 2004 - 10 answers

Writing political commentary. I have a friend (no, really) who has a lot of talent for writing political opinion pieces. He's had letters published in Time and in the International Herald Tribune. Now he'd like to start submitting some articles he has written, but he doesn't know where to send them. He's looking for small publications where he could get started, and he isn't necessarily looking to make money from this. In terms of slant, he describes himself as a civil libertarian, free-trader, legislative minimalist when it comes to issues of morality and mores, pro-redistributive lefty who veers right on issues of unnecessary regulation.

Any ideas on where he might find his niche? Much appreciated!
posted on Jul 16, 2004 - 2 answers

Having just finished The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which has a fictional autistic narrator, I'm keen to know if anyone can recommend me some novels (not necessarily about autism) whose authors are autistic.
posted on May 7, 2004 - 8 answers

my girlfriend is a fan of writers such as chuck palahniuk, dave eggers, jeffrey eugenides, david sedaris.
recently,she's expressed interest in finding an author (or authors) with a similar style-- but female.

any thoughts or suggestions?
posted on Apr 4, 2004 - 32 answers