My tenth novel will be published in September. I began writing it more than four years ago. The delay in its publication is mostly due to the fact that I parted ways with my former literary agent as well as my former publisher. When I broke ranks with them I knew I was taking a risk: unless you are incredibly successful and have a stellar track record, it’s difficult to begin again in mid-career. [Read more…]
Archives for June 2018
Asymmetry, The Hot Novel of 2018
Back to Philip Roth whose death still haunts some of us.
A few months ago a first novel called Asymmetry was published whose author, Lisa Halliday, wrote about an affair she had with Roth. I saw that the book had good coverage but then heard via another famous writer (who by the way ends up being mentioned in the novel) that it was a fine piece of fiction, a “must read”. I marked Asymmetry as weekend fare and polished it off over Father’s Day weekend. [Read more…]
Why Has the Quality of Books Gone Down
I consider it good fortune to both write books and work in publishing. Although both jobs are arguably part of the same profession, one can also say that being an editor at times stands in opposition to being a writer. By this I mean that the editor is in the role of deciding what to publish, often disappointing a writer whose creative job ironically gives reason for an editor to exist. In the world of publishing editor and writer must coexist; however, due to the marketplace and the evolution of other forms of entertainment, this relationship has been forced to change. [Read more…]