April 17, 2012 • The 2012 Pulitzer: Nobody Wins!

The Pulitzer committee failed to pick a winner in the fiction category this year. Apparently, they were unable to decide between Train Dreams by Denis Johnson, Swamplandia! by Karen Russell, and The Pale King by David Foster Wallace. It's disappointing that they didn't pick a winner, but their decision also allows us the opportunity to ask what's wrong with a system that chooses three books as finalists that have not really engaged the public. I'm not saying a book has to be a best-seller to be an award winner, but it should at least be a book that non-academic readers enjoy. Because this is too often not the case, it feels like a good time for a re-examination of how awards in fiction are given. Like the Academy Awards, the Pulitzer and other major book prizes too often reward books and films that are too far outside the mainstream—books that feel as if they are written for editors and other writers, not for readers. And this year's non-Pulitzer in fiction proves it's time to fix that problem.

April 5, 2012 • Better late than never?

Many people labor under the fantasy that they will publish their first book before they turn thirty. I was 41 when I published the first book I wrote by myself, and the truth is most writers don't do that until they're around that age.

Consider the following...

Age at which Alice Munro published her first collection of stories, Dance of the Happy Shades: 37.

Age at which George Saunders published CivilWarLand in Bad Decline: 38.

Age at which Willa Cather published her first novel, Alexander’s Bridge: 39.

Age at which Toni Morrison published her first novel, The Bluest Eye: 39.

Age at which Wallace Stevens published Harmonium, his first book of poetry: 44.

Age at which Marilynne Robinson published her first novel, Housekeeping: 37.

The truth is that good writing requires a lifetime commitment. How old will you be when you publish your first book?

March 29, 2012 • WTF?! talk today at WKU

I'm giving a talk today at Western Kentucky University called "When Hairy Met Sally: Why the Schlub is as Good as it Gets for some Hollywood Beauties" as part of the WKU Potter College WTF?! series. (Wednesday Thursday Friday! Get your minds out of the gutter!) I'll be discussing how different Hollywood standards are for male and female actors as well as the social consequences of that difference. I'd love it if you are able to attend. The talk will start at 4:00 in McCormack Hall and should wrap up by 4:30 or so. Hope to see you there!

March 26, 2012 • The Hunger Games rules at the box office!

This weekend, the film adaptation of The Hunger Games made box office history by posting the biggest spring opening weekend ever AND the biggest midnight and weekend box office by a non-sequel. The film made $19 million at the midnight showing on March 23rd and $155 million over the weekend, the third biggest opening weekend ever—behind only two beloved franchises: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($169.2 million) and The Dark Knight ($158.4 million). I adored the books by Suzanne Collins and the film by Gary Ross, and if you're interested, you can read my short review of the movie on my blog. If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to catch this juggernaut soon, so you can join the conversation!