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Pif Magazine
ISSN: 1094-2726
Published by:
Pif, LLC
PMB 248
4820 Yelm Hwy SE
Suite B
Lacey, WA 98503-4903
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Starting this month I’m going to alter the form of my column to allow for greater emphasis on e-books, hypertext, and other electronic works. From here forward "What to Read" will appear in two sections. The first will list any recently published, Web-based texts that deserve your attention. The second section will list my picks from upcoming e-books, hypertexts, and print books. I hope this allows you greater exposure to new writings in multiple mediums.
Best-
Camille Renshaw
Senior Editor, Pif Magazine
January 2000
Edward Falco’s Charmin’ Cleary (Eastgate Systems)
Rick Bass’ Where the Sea Used to Be (NYT)
Michael Joyce’s Twelve Blue (Eastgate Systems)
Lisa Zeidner’s "Be Here Now" (Atlantic Unbound)
Shakespeare’s "Sonnet 116" read by Linda Gregerson, Mark Doty, W. S. Merwin, Lloyd Schwartz; essay by Linda Gregerson
Here’s a short list of what I consider to be the best e-books, hypertexts,
and print books expected to be released by publishers in the winter and
spring months of 2000. Please keep in mind that book release dates are
nebulous. These books may already be on bookstore shelves, or they may
not be out until June. Enjoy!
Doty, Mark: Turtle,
Swan, and Bethlehem in Broad Daylight : Two Volumes of Poetry
(University of Illinois Press). New poetry from the acclaimed author of
Atlantis: Poems and Firebird: A Memoir!
- Read Pif’s review of Mark Doty's Sweet Machine.
Earley, Tony: Jim the Boy (Little Brown and Co.). Debut novel from the author of Here We Are in Paradise: Stories. One of my favorite Southerner writers. Tony’s provocative essays can be found in The New Yorker and The Oxford American.
Ellis, Helen: Eating the Cheshire Cat (Scribner). This Southerner’s debut novel exposes the horrifying pecking order and traditional rites of passage of Southern women for what they are. A mesmerizing narrative – both grotesque and alarmingly funny.
Gay, William: The Long Home (MacMurray and Home). "Handshaped fiction of great power, like a footbridge back to the heavy 40s. Gay is always good and often sublime." -Barry Hannah
Hallett, Cynthia Whitney: Minimalism and the Short Story — Raymond Carver, Amy Hempel, and Mary Robison (Studies in Comparative Literature V. 28.) (Edwin Mellen Press). Nonfiction book by an academic linking the work of these three writers. Intriguing premise.
Hannah, Barry (introduction) and Nick Cave (introduction): Pocket Canons – Mark (Grove Press). You must read Hannah’s passionate and personal introduction to this pocket edition of the King James Version of the Book of Mark. Great insight into the current mindset of Southern letters.
Joyce, Michael: Twilight: a symphony (Eastgate Systems). A profound new hypertext from the author of afternoon: a story. Regretfully, it is only available for Macs at present, but Eastgate will soon release a PC version.
Lehman, David: The Daily Mirror: A Journal in Poetry (Scribner). If you read his 30 daily poems at poems.com, you’ll want the whole collection. "…Reads like a sped-up meditation on the elemental stuff that we're made of… The seemingly randomness of daily life accrues into a shape and surety." - Yusef Komunyakaa
Michaels, Anne: Poems (Knopf). Her first collection of poetry to be published in the States. "These are poems that go way beyond games or fashion or politics… they represent the human being entire." — Michael Ondaatje
Strand, Mark: The Weather of Words: Poetic Invention (Knopf). Essays on the nature of art and poetry from the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet. Eclectic collection of subjects discussed, like the relationship between modern poetry and photography.
Ravenel, Shannon: New Stories from the South (Algonquin Books). Terrific intro by Tony Earley. The stories are striking and varied – my favorite annual. Authors include William Gay, Mary Gordon, Wendy Brenner, and Michael Knight. You must read this.
Tell us what you think. Email
talkback@pifmagazine.com
Want Pif to review your book? See Review
Suggestions for more details.
Camille Renshaw is the Senior Editor for Pif Magazine. She currently resides in Boston, MA.