The Great Lenore is...

"beautiful in the same way that J.D. Salinger's books are beautiful."

~New York Journal of Books

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weekend writing thoughts: everything builds

Everything builds.

This has been one of the most valuable revelations I have ever uncovered - as pertains to literature, as pertains to life. Hopefully, it is a revelation that will help you as well.

Everything builds.

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6 simple questions: literary agent mollie glick

Welcome to "that side" of 6 Simple Questions

Mollie Glick is…

literary agent interview, mollie glick, foundry literary, jm tohline
A literary agent with the ever-awesome Foundry Literary + Media.

She is open to current manuscripts - "I'm always on the hunt for my next big book. Right now I'd love to find
some high concept literary fiction in the mode of EDGAR SAWTELLE, THE AGE OF MIRACLES or SHINE SHINE SHINE. But I also love YA fiction and popular science."


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6 simple questions: nick hornby

Welcome to "this side" of 6 Simple Questions

Nick Hornby is…


Nick Hornby interview thoughts on writing, jm tohline
….not only one of the world's most popular authors, but is also one of the world's most talented authors. His books include High Fidelity and About a Boy, and he has been awarded the E. M. Forster Award and the WH Smith Literary Award - among others. If you live in the U.K., you have certainly read and fallen in love with Nick Hornby; if you life in the U.S., you have probably read an fallen in love with Nick Hornby.

If you have not yet read and fallen in love with Nick Hornby, now would be a good time to do so.

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weekend writing thoughts: the value of reading

I'm sure I pay closer attention to the 6 Simple Questions series than anyone else; I mean, yeah - of course, right? I'm the one who contacts these people, who sends them the questions, who puts together the posts, etc. No one else is reading these posts as thoroughly as I am reading them - but I am hopeful that people are still reading them closely. I'm hopeful that those who show up on the site because, say, The New Yorker sent them here end up coming back again to see what Ploughshares has to say on these topics, or what T. C. Boyle has to say, and so on. I'm running this series in the hopes that people are catching on - in the hopes that they're saying, "Hey, there are a bunch of authors and bookstores and agents and literary publications and whatnot giving great advice every Tuesday and Wednesday; I'll mark my calendar and head over each Tuesday and Wednesday to see who's there on that day, and to see what I can learn from them."

And if you have been doing that, one thing you have probably noticed is this: a lot of these authors and agents and literary magazines and so on are giving the same advice. And that advice is that you should read. A lot. In fact, Junot Diaz's advice went so far as to say you should spend more time reading than writing. How about that?

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6 simple questions: the threepenny review

Welcome to "that side" of 6 Simple Questions

The Threepenny Review is…

wendy lesser, the threepenny review editor, interview, jm tohline
(from The Threepenny Review Facebook page - because they say it best)
…the print magazine for smart, creative readers.

Jonathan Franzen says, "There are vanishingly few magazines left in this country which seem pitched at the general literary reader and which consistently publish such interesting, high-quality criticism, reflection, argument, fiction, and poetry…Threepenny is thankfully still out there."

Tony Kushner adds: "Everybody should rush right out and subscribe to The Threepenny Review."

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6 simple questions: green apple books in san francisco

Welcome to "this side" of 6 Simple Questions

Green Apple Books in San Franciso is…


green apple books in san francisco, shop indie bookstores
(from the Green Apple Books website, because they say it best)
…perennially voted the best used and/or independent bookstore in the Bay Area by readers of the San Francisco Bay Guardian, the SF Weekly, and various other papers, magazines, websites, etc. Green Apple strives to adjust to an ever-changing marketplace by varying its product mix, section sizes, etc. without ever losing focus on what makes it a great bookstore: an excellent selection of quality books in all subject areas.

If you find yourself in San Francisco, make sure you find your way into Green Apple Books!

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