In writing about death, all life is there – Telegraph

‘Few people like to reflect on whether the Grim Reaper is hovering nearby, whetstone out, sharpening the old scythe. But on the obituaries desk, I’m afraid, we do it all the time. Indeed, one of our writers regularly appears at work after one of her subjects has died and notes wryly: “I see my curse has struck again.”’

Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on the planet?

“A reddit user asks Neil deGrasse Tyson: Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on the planet? Tyson responded with the following list…”

I Also Wrote A Book Called ‘Cloud Atlas’ (But They Didn’t Make A Movie About It) | The Awl

“5. Many people write to say that they liked my novel better, and not just because I tacked a definite article on the front of the title.”

The Little Library Under the Oak 10/21/12

“The front of my house faces east, so in the mornings I like to sit in my library looking out the big floor-to-ceiling windows down the hill towards the road and to the waterway beyond. The sun pours in, the dogs vie with the cats for the warmest spots, I drink coffee and read and watch the procession of fishermen pull into the marina across the street with their Jon Boats on rusty trailers, their trucks filled with fishing gear and beer coolers. And now, they sometimes stop under my oak tree, and pick up a couple books to take with them out on the water along with their beer and their bait.”

MASTER OF THE MOUNTAIN: Thomas Jefferson and His Slaves | Washington Post Book Reviews | Columns | ArcaMax Publishing

“Wiencek’s brilliant examination of the dark side of the man who gave the world the most ringing declarations about human liberty, yet in his own life repeatedly violated the principles they expressed.”

The Humble eBook Bundle (pay what you want and help charity)

Eight days left to purchase!

EBooks Are Real Books. Deal With It. | BOOK RIOT

“Ebooks are not going away, ever. Amazon now sells more ebooks than print books. In Canada, 16% of books purchased are digital. Ebook sales in the UK increased over 188% in the first six months of 2012. More and more people are consuming their books from a screen, and I’m having trouble mustering righteous anger about it–but if you stick your neck out and say the word “ebook,” you’ll still get people lobbing “those aren’t real books!” at you. Can this argument be over? Is it possible to think of your preferred method of reading as your primary method, and the other options as supplements/choices/possibilities, instead of thinking of them as the enemy? While I don’t necessarily agree that all reading material is equal (you’ll never catch me saying “at least they’re reading!”), I do think that all reading methods are equal.”While we’re at it, let’s get over texting, emoticons, email, and those disrespectful kids today. It’s the 21st century, people, let’s act like it!

The Dark Side of Thomas Jefferson | History & Archaeology | Smithsonian Magazine

By local author Henry Wiencek. Be sure to read the discussion in the comments section.

The Re:Joyce Podcast Takes You Through James Joyce’s Ulysses Line by Line (for the Next 22 Years) | Open Culture

‘The show operates on a simple concept: each Wednesday, Delaney deconstructs a piece of Ulysses, usually for four to fifteen minutes. This will run, so the plan goes, for the next twenty-two years. An ambitious project, certainly, but I find that podcasting, especially literary podcasting, could always use a little more ambition. “Why?” Delaney asks of the show on its debut episode. “Well, why not? You could say, ‘Why bother?’ And I would say, for the sheer fun of it. Because this is a book that has engrossed and delighted me for most of my adult life, and I know the enjoyment to be had from it. And I also know that such enjoyment has been denied to many, many people who would read Ulysses if they weren’t so daunted by it, and indeed, who tried to read it but had to give up. How do I know this? Because I was one of them.” If this sounds a little like the script of an infomercial, Delaney embraces the sensibility, labeling Re: Joyce his “infomercial for Ulysses.” As far as eloquence — and erudition, not to mention richness of subject matter — he’s certainly surpassed Ron Popeil.’

2011 50 Covers Winners

“Tracing its roots back over close to 90 years to 1924, this survey of the best in book design represents perhaps the longest-standing legacy in American graphic design.”