Friday, September 07, 2012

Waiting on our doormat

We just got back from holiday and here are all the goodies that were waiting on our doormat! So thrilling are they that I thought I'd give them all a shout out. So, we have...

Regular reads:
  • New Scientist with its intriguing cover promising "Food for thought"
  • The New Yorker, my staple weekend read, including a short story by Thomas McGuane
  • Poets and Writers magazine, which I love every few months, not just for the competition deadlines but great articles about many aspects of writing
  • Sentence, the annual journal of prose poetry, which I find enlightening and inspiring, sitting on the blurred boundary between prose and poetry. 
New arrivals:
  • The first issue of The Liner, a brand new transatlantic and very gorgeous lit mag from both London and Los Angeles. It features a poem by Blake Morrison, among a great roster
  • The first issue of Black & Blue magazine, also very good looking, and featuring a story by Angela Readman, so it's already impressing me!
  • The first pamphlet in my subscription to The Cupboard Pamphlets, which publishes a pamphlet of creative prose every quarter. It's a gorgeous tiny object: Our Commutual Mea Culpa by Chanelle Benz.
Books
  • Crime and Guilt by Ferdinand von Schirach - a collection of two collections of short stories by a German lawyer, bought because of Scott Pack's excellent review of one of the stories over at Me and My Big Mouth: Shorts.
  • Lightning Rods by Helen DeWitt, the latest book in my subscription to And Other Stories, who supply me with fantastic literature every few months, including the stunning, Booker-longlisted, Swimming Home by Deborah Levy. I trust that this book will similarly enthrall. 
  • Elsewhere, from Cargo Publishing - a volume of four collections which is  a joint production between the Scottish publisher and the fantastic McSweeneys, featuring 50 authors. Can't wait to get stuck inhere. 
 And finally, to entertain me when I need to give my eyes a rest from all this literary feasting... my new favourite find (thank you, BBC 6 Music!), Matthew E White's new album, Big Inner. So I will leave you with a treat, his song, Big Love. It's soooo good. Got to go, I've got reading to do!


6 comments:

Steve Finnell said...

you are invited to follow my blog

Anonymous said...

That's an odd comment from Steve Finnell there! Ha!

Oh I kept seeing tweets from the New Scientist about the food stuff and I really wanted to read it! I might have to subscribe soon... or, I could have bought it in the supermarket! Forgot they're so popular they get into the public sphere. (Sorry, you just followed a stream of consciousness there)

BRIDGET said...

Just so much better than bills...impressed by the books, magazines and journals and your serious reading habit. Thanks for the mention of prose poetry magazine - never heard of that before so will check it out

Tania Hershman said...

Freya, hm, yes, I suspect Mr F above hasn't read and enjoyed my blog post as much as you! Love your stream of consciousness and your excitement about New Scientist, am happy to lend you the Food issue when I'm done!

Bridget, nice to meet you! Ah yes, I didn't mention the bills, I thought they'd mess up the lovely photo! Enjoy Sentence, it's wonderful... we need something like that here in the UK.

Sue Guiney said...

What a haul! Thanks for pointing us to Sentence magazine. I just ordered a copy. I've been thinking a lot about prose poetry lately and wondering why I haven't/if I "should".... This will tip me over one way or the other, I think. hope your holiday was good!

Tania Hershman said...

Sue, I hope you like it. They just rejected my submission but I won't hold it against them! Holiday was lovely, thanks!