Author name: Booksquare

What is a poor writer to do these days? At every turn, someone is complaining about being unfairly depicted. Heck, just last week, we received an email from a writer who received a threatening letter because her character just happened to have the same name as a living, breathing human. It makes us wonder just what the purpose of having a quirky, slightly insane family is. Now far be it for us to come off as cynical, but we might suggest that when a book portrays one (or many ones) in an unflattering light, granting public interviews isn’t necessarily the

This just in (again): the New York Times has discovered that authors are writing about 9/11 and their reactions to said tragedy. We realize that it’s a lot to ask, but it would be great if such a major newspaper looked back at its previous coverage of this issue and found a different way to tackle reviews of related books. Especially since offering a high-level overview of books tackling this subject matter doesn’t really offer the opportunity for depth and analysis. Though, more time and space would surely eliminate statements of the obvious (yes, it is a cranky day, thank

Someone wise once told us that character growth is important. If characters don’t learn from their actions, then they’re boring. The trend of sequels to successful chicklit novels highlights this truism: the Shopaholic remains in eternal debt and Bridget Jones… Well, Bridget hasn’t exactly returned to the novel, but she’s returned. Actually, she’s right back where she started: a newspaper column. Whose idea was that? It turns out that she’s still single, still dithering between the same men, and just barely more settled in her life. And, if we may be honest, Bridget wasn’t exactly a spring chicken. This has

Carl Jung is dead. That everyone can agree on that point is a major milestone. Jung’s biographer and Jung’s heirs have been warring over a new look at the man. Traditionally, biographies are written, reviewed, and consigned to shelves after being read by those who find themselves interested. Additional readings may happen if another biographer uses the book as source material. Though other publishers of the Jung biography have opted against inserting “corrections” into the book, the German publisher, a division of Random House, has weighed one potential lawsuit against another and decided to try to compromise. Which leads us

If one needs a good sense of our priorities, consider this: we read MediaBistro’s interview with editors Megan Lynch and Sean McDonald…and our big takeaway was that we really need to get the new George Saunders novella. Don’t blame the editors — they were as interesting and candid as possible — but we have a one-track mind some days. However, this isn’t about our needs, it’s about yours, and you want to know how Lynch and McDonald (of Riverhead, part of the Penguin family, which reminds us that we really want to see that movie about penguins) approach editing and