I read a lot every week, and it’s not all in books! Here’s a roundup of some of the best articles I read this week about books, reading, and words.
Top Writers Choose Their Perfect Crime
Sorry in advance for adding to your TBR list! Some of the recommended books here I’ve read and enjoyed (Rebecca and Mystic River in particular were standouts for me) and lots more to look for next time I’m at the library. (via The Guardian)
The Soft Radicalism of Erotic Fiction
I last read a Jackie Collins novel back in junior high, when it seemed a daringly transgressive act. I think her work is generally perceived to be trashy (hence the transgression) but I like this re-evaluation of her work as a feminist icon. And when you really think about it, why does Philip Roth get to be considered a serious author for writing about his own penis but a woman who writes unabashedly sex-driven characters is trash? Hmph, I say. (via The Atlantic)
‘You Don’t Have to Be Disabled to Write About Disability, But You’d Better Get It Right’
’m not familiar with the work of Jarred McGinnis, but he has some really thoughtful things to say from the perspective of an author with disabilities about books that he believes handle portrayals of characters with disabilities well. (via The Guardian)
A Brief History of the Word ‘Fuck’ in The New York Times
You might be surprised how often the NYT (a newspaper with such a reputation for prim stuffiness that its nickname is The Gray Lady) actually prints the sweatiest of swear words, most recently in this week’s reporting on the Congressional subcommittee investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection. (via Gen)
An American Bluestocking 