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Sunday, March 26, 2006

Some Fun: Stories and a Novella

OK. I'm not a big fan of short fiction, so I don't know who Antonya Nelson is. Apparently, though, she's quite good, as she's won a bunch of awards. How do I know this? BECAUSE MENTION OF THEM IS PLASTERED ALL OVER HER NEW BOOK.

I did a little checking (but not much, because life is short): Guggenheim Fellowship? Check. REA Award? Yep.

And this collection isn't by Antonya Nelson. It's by "Winner Antonya Nelson."

Someone please leave a comment and tell me this is a joke. Or that I'm missing some Po-Mo meta blah-blah-blah. Please tell me this.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is such a thing as trying too hard. Then again maybe I'm bitter as a non award winner.

Joseph said...

Yeah, it's just bizarre, isn't it? Oh, to be a fly on the wall when this was being reviewed...

Kyle Minor said...

I doubt Ms. Nelson designed the cover herself. I bet she, like most writers, would be a little uncomfortable with this sort of package (and secretly pleased, too, like you would, and like I would if all that adulation had come our way.)

But I have to take issue with this particular case of judging a book by its cover. This is a FAN-TASTIC book. I just finished reading it, and, brother, let me tell you: she deserves it and then some.

Ramona R. said...

Yeah, the cover is bold. It's a dumb move, if the content doesn't match up, but in this case, IT DOES. Nelson writes with authority and a sharp sensibility.

The stories are remarkable and Nelson does what her characters fail to do--transcend. Read it and you'll wonder why she isn't better known.