Tag: Literature
Verona, Italy
by World Hum | 06.01.09 | 11:29 AM ET
REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo A couple kisses after getting married at Verona's Casa di Giulietta, or "Juliet's House." The pair were the first to be married on the famous balcony.
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Yahoo! BuzzIn Praise of the Book Exchange
by Eva Holland | 05.29.09 | 10:36 AM ET
As I’ve mentioned, I loved nearly everything about my visit to Bequia, in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, last week—but today, finding myself craving a nice, lightweight paperback novel, one particular memory from the island stands out.
The book exchange was ubiquitous there. I’m used to seeing them around hostels and budget guesthouses, but in Bequia, they were everywhere—from my hotel lobby to the restaurant where I ate lunch one day, it seemed there was a shelf full of paperbacks waiting for a trade in every corner.
Aspen to America: We’re a Major Literary Destination!
by Eva Holland | 05.28.09 | 4:59 PM ET
When most people think of Aspen, Colorado, I doubt if the words “literary pilgrimage” pop all that promptly into their heads. But that’s going to change—at least if Aspen.com’s Brandon Wenerd has anything to say about it.
Travel Movie Watch: ‘Homage to Catalonia’
by Eva Holland | 05.20.09 | 10:53 AM ET
More than 70 years after its initial publication, George Orwell’s Spanish Civil War memoir is hitting the big screen.
Hugh Hudson, best known for “Chariots of Fire” and “I Dreamed of Africa,” will direct, while Colin Firth and Kevin Spacey have already signed on to star—the media coverage of the news doesn’t offer anything definite, but it looks as though Firth will play Orwell, and Spacey will take on the role of Georges Kopp, Orwell’s POUM commander.
‘Angels & Demons’ has Arrived—and so Have the Travel Writers
by Eva Holland | 05.15.09 | 12:43 PM ET
Publicity still from "Angels & Demons" (via IGN) If you’re not interested in Dan Brown or the film adaptation of his hit novel, “Angels & Demons,” you may want to avoid the travel pages for the next few days—I haven’t seen travel-movie-mania on this scale since last year’s Sex and the City movie transfixed shoe-loving travel writers everywhere.
If, however, you’re keen to explore “Dan Brown’s Rome,” read on for the best of the near-ubiquitous coverage.
The Book Bench: ‘Let’s all Move to Berlin’
by Eva Holland | 05.04.09 | 3:01 PM ET
I’ve had a longtime fascination with the Parisian expat writers of the 1920s. Books like “A Moveable Feast” or “That Summer in Paris” never fail to make me wish I was sitting in a Left Bank cafe, making a cup of coffee last for hours while I wrestle with a short story or pause to chat with other struggling writers who’ve wandered by.
Of course, Paris is hardly the place for impoverished creative types anymore, but—say the New Yorker’s Book Bench bloggers—there’s a viable European alternative if I ever decide to attempt a modern-day recreation of my Hemingway daydreams: Berlin.
Wanted: Books From North of the 60th Parallel
by Eva Holland | 04.29.09 | 3:07 PM ET
Growing up, I was fascinated by the idea of the Arctic. I can remember trying out some of the strange place names of the North—Whitehorse and Yellowknife, Great Slave Lake, Tuktoyaktuk—and reading Jack London or reciting The Cremation of Sam McGee in school.
Now, finally, I’m headed “north of 60” (that is, beyond the 60th parallel that divides Canada’s provinces from our northern territories) to spend part of the summer in the Yukon, and it occurs to me: I know almost nothing about the North in the present day.
Travel Movie Watch: ‘The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test’
by Eva Holland | 04.28.09 | 12:08 PM ET
Move over, Fear and Loathing. There’s a new drug-addled, road tripping book-turned-movie in town. A film adaptation of Tom Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test—which follows Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters cross-country in a school bus named “Further”—is due out in 2010. Production details are still thin on the ground, but the New York Times notes that Gus van Sant will direct, while Dustin Lance Black, who recently won an Oscar for writing van Sant’s “Milk,” will provide the screenplay.
Where Will Dan Brown Go Next?
by Eva Holland | 04.22.09 | 12:11 PM ET
Publicity still from "Angels and Demons" (via IGN) Looks like the bestselling author has been keeping busy. While we’ve been pondering the “Angels and Demons” boycotts and bus tours, Brown has been hard at work on his next novel—and now, his publisher has finally announced its impending release.
“The Lost Symbol” will hit stores in September with a staggering first print run of 5 million copies, the largest in Random House history. Naturally, Columbia Pictures—the studio behind the first two Brown adaptations—wasted no time snapping up the film rights.
But with all the excitement, I’m left wondering: what, exactly, are we waiting for? Where will Robert Langdon (and the resulting hordes of movie tourists) go next?
American Regionalisms Redux
by Jenna Schnuer | 04.10.09 | 1:33 PM ET
We know that loads of you take notice of regional speak as you do your state-to-state wandering. So you’ll definitely want to know about this. But even if you don’t normally listen up for regionalisms and English is your first language, you’re still not off the hook when it comes to Frank Bures’ recommendation that travelers tote along a dictionary on trips.
No, thanks to several decades of work by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, there’s a nearly-complete multivolume dictionary that will help you understand what’s going on when you get invited to a “pitch-in” in Indiana or which “scrimptions” you should save down South.
Eight Books You Shouldn’t Travel Without
by Frank Bures | 04.08.09 | 9:27 AM ET
iStockPhoto Build bigger back muscles! Get more out of every trip! Quasi-Luddite Frank Bures explains.
The ‘Remasculation’ of Travel Literature?
by Eva Holland | 04.01.09 | 3:45 PM ET
The folks at Bookninja have jumped into action in response to a recent survey suggesting that women read more than men: they’ve launched a contest to “remasculate” the literary scene, by issuing new titles and basic story lines for existing books, with the macho factor cranked up.
Paperbacks at 15,000 Feet
by Eva Holland | 03.30.09 | 1:20 PM ET
Book Bench blogger Willing Davidson did a little book-spotting on a recent Nepalese trek; in this brief, fun post, he reports back on the most popular titles in his “mile-high book club.”
A Little Bit of Botswana Comes to HBO
by Eva Holland | 03.27.09 | 10:29 AM ET
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, a television adaptation of the popular Alexander McCall Smith novels, premieres on HBO this weekend. The series follows the adventures of Botswana’s only female detective, Precious Ramotswe, played by Jill Scott; Anthony Minghella cowrote and directed the two-hour pilot before his death, and he and Sydney Pollack (also since deceased) were both producers on the project.
Tradition, Change and the Fate of the Irish Pub
by David Farley | 03.26.09 | 4:16 PM ET
Anthony Hopkins Takes Lead in Upcoming Hemingway Movie
by Eva Holland | 03.26.09 | 10:21 AM ET
The veteran, Oscar-winning actor has been cast as Ernest Hemingway in an upcoming indie titled “Hemingway and Fuentes,” Hollywood.com reports. Andy Garcia—who will also co-write and direct the movie—will play Gregorio Fuentes, a friend of Hemingway’s in the author’s final years who is said to be the real-life inspiration for Santiago of The Old Man and the Sea fame.
As always when a beloved literary figure or book is involved in a Hollywood production, my first reaction to this news is gut-clenching anxiety. Hemingway’s stories and novels—not to mention his Paris memoir, “A Moveable Feast”—have done as much as the “official” travel literature canon to make me curious about the world over the years, and unfortunately the movie industry has let book-lovers down too many times. But on the other hand, Anthony Hopkins is a fabulous actor who makes smart script choices more often than not, so I suppose there’s reason for hope.
What do you think of Hopkins as Hemingway? (Via Alltop)
Rajaa Alsanea Talks Dentistry, ‘Girls of Riyadh’ and Life in Chicago
by Eva Holland | 03.23.09 | 4:09 PM ET
Remember Rajaa Alsanea? Her debut novel stirred up acclaim and controversy, and opened a window into the romantic lives of Saudi Arabia’s young women (being dubbed “Sex and the City, Saudi-style” as a result) a couple years back. The National caught up with the author to see what she’s been up to since, and it turns out Alsanea is studying endodontics, a dentistry specialty, in Chicago—and working on a second novel in her spare time.
She says of that project: “People will definitely have the feeling that I have grown up and matured. I have lived outside my country and experienced a different culture and all of this reflects on the person that I am today.” The thoughtful interview is worth a read in full. (Via The Book Bench)
Travel Movie Watch: ‘Where the Wild Things Are’
by Eva Holland | 03.19.09 | 11:00 AM ET
Yet another beloved tale of childhood exploration is getting the Hollywood treatment. Cue the chorus of groans, right? Maybe. But while a live action movie version of Where the Wild Things Are might seem like a disaster waiting to happen, I’m actually cautiously optimistic about the adaptation. The always original Spike Jonze is directing, and Jonze also collaborated with novelist Dave Eggers on the script. Meanwhile, the cast includes Forest Whitaker, Catherine Keener and James Gandolfini. A talented group like that couldn’t get Max’s journey to the land of the Wild Things all wrong, could they? (Let’s hope not.)
Get the Big Picture has a sneak peek of the first poster for the movie, which is due out in the fall.
In Riyadh, Ronaldo Trumps Paulo Coehlo
by Eva Holland | 03.16.09 | 2:50 PM ET
Brazilian officials who were in Riyadh for a festival intended to honor their country’s literary heritage found themselves fielding more questions about the beautiful game than about books, the Arab News reports. In fact, the Brazilian delegation wound up caving to demand and redecorating with football banners and photos of famous players.
Said one visitor: “The book fair has almost come to an end and I haven’t received any questions about Brazilian literature, or even the country’s general culture.” Hmm. Maybe it’s time for a rebranding campaign? (Via The Book Bench)
Capt. Sully: Author, Poet
by Rob Verger | 03.12.09 | 12:55 PM ET
The famous Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger is going to be an author. And, reportedly, a poet. The two-book deal with William Morrow is reportedly worth between 2.5 and 3 million dollars, Crain’s reports. A memoir will be first, and the second book will be poetry, The Daily Beast reports.
A “My Turn” column he wrote for Newsweek reportedly was used in lieu of a book proposal.
It’s easy to overdose on Sully-mania, as it is to be cynical about the book deal and think “enough already.” And while half of me is sick of hearing about Sully, the other half thinks: right on. If he wants to write a book, fantastic. Besides, how many pilots out there have inclinations to write, but no outlet? How many people in any profession, for that matter?
In his column in Newsweek, he wrote of himself and his family: “The trajectory of our lives has changed forever. And we’re determined to make good come out of this in every way that we can.” And now it seems that that includes a book, or two.