Critical Notes

Roundup: Lydia Davis, Lorrie Moore, Ayelet Waldman, Simon Schama, and more

By Eric Liebetrau

Your reviews seed this roundup; please send items to NBCCCritics@gmail.com.

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“Comedian Ages With Humor — And Effort.” Heller McAlpin reviews Annabelle Gurwitch's new book. McAlpin also reviews Lorrie Moore's Bark.

Valerie Trueblood has been name a finalist for the PEN Faulkner Award.

Eileen Weiner reviews Catherine Gammon's Sorrow.

Afaa Michael Weaver has won the Kingsley Tufts Award for poetry.

“What U.S. Learned From 'Heathen School' Wasn't Part Of The Lesson Plan.” Maureen Corrigan on John Demos' book. Corrigan also reviews Teju Cole's new novel.

“Making Sausages: Images of Governance.” Robert Birnbaum examines how governance has been portrayed in popular novels and films. He also talks to 2013 John Leonard Award winner Anthony Marra. In the Daily Beast, Birnbaum considers Justin Cartwright's Lion Heart.

In Library Journal, Barbara Hoffert reflects on the 2013 NBCC Awards.

Julia M. Klein reviews Simon Schama's The Story of the Jews.

Andrea Scrima on “The Inimitable Lydia Davis” in Issue 35 of the Quarterly Conversation, The Lydia Davis Symposium.

Celia McGee reviews Valerie Martin and others in her column for the Center for Fiction.

A year after legendary Nigerian author Chinua Achebe's death, NBCC board member Jane Ciabattari looks at three who followed in his footsteps: 2013 NBCC Fiction Award winner Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Chris Abani, and Ben Okri. Ciabattari also examines “the great writers inpired behind bars.”

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: “When I’m Writing Fiction, I Feel Free.”

Karl Wolff reviews Everyday Book Marketing, by Midge Raymond at the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography. Wolff also reviews reviews Cries of the Lost by Chris Knopf.

Julie Hakim Azzam reviews Rabih Alameddine's novel, An Unnecessary Woman, and speaks with Rachel Renee Russell, author of the middle grade series, Dork Diaries

NBCC board member Carolyn Kellogg reviews Ayelet Waldman's Love and Treasure.

Rayyan Al-Shawaf reviews Peter Watson's The Age of Atheists.

David Cooper on David Grossman's latest book.

Bark chronicles contemporary quests for happy endings.” Linda Simon reviews Lorrie Moore's new book.

NBCC board member David Biespiel delivers his latest Poetry Wire.

2013 NBCC Balakian Award winner Katherine A. Powers reviews Olen Steinhauer's The Cairo Affair.

The Telegraph takes a look at Distant Reading, Franco Moretti's 2013 NBCC Criticism Award winner.