Fiction_L Archives Contemporary American Literary Fiction Dates: 1/10/03,10:05 AM  through  1/17/03,7:55 AM  (13 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2011-current     2009-2010     2004-2008    1995-2003    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to January 2003 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: "Sandie Knes" <[removed]@llcoop.org>
REC'D: 1/10/03, 10:05 AM

My daughter has an assignment for her college class that presents an
interesting (IMHO) query. She needs to read a book of "Contemporary
American Literary Fiction" preferable written by a fairly new author.

She has some ideas already and I'm not sending this out for her as much
as for myself and possible creation of a bibliography for our library.

Any suggestions?

Sandie Knes, Director
Loutit District Library
407 Columbus Street
Grand Haven MI 49417
616-842-5560, extension 212
[removed]@llcoop.org

FROM: "Lisa Colcord" <[removed]@ci.glendale.az.us>
REC'D: 1/10/03, 12:23 PM

How about Leif Enger (Peace Like a River) and a fairly new author, Tracy Chevalier (Girl with a Pearl Earring)?

Lisa

Lisa Colcord
Librarian
Glendale Public library
Glendale, AZ

....my views are my own....

-The secret to life is enjoying the passage of time- James Taylor

>>> [removed]@llcoop.org 01/10/03 08:58AM >>>
My daughter has an assignment for her college class that presents an
interesting (IMHO) query. She needs to read a book of "Contemporary
American Literary Fiction" preferable written by a fairly new author.

She has some ideas already and I'm not sending this out for her as much
as for myself and possible creation of a bibliography for our library.

Any suggestions?

Sandie Knes, Director
Loutit District Library
407 Columbus Street
Grand Haven MI 49417
616-842-5560, extension 212
[removed]@llcoop.org

......................................................................
Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
Everything Fiction_L: http://fictionl.webrary.org

FROM: "Smith, Jeff" <[removed]@marshall.usc.edu>
REC'D: 1/10/03, 12:33 PM

I just read Richard Powers' "Gain," which tells parallel stories of a contemporary cancer victim and the 200-year history of the chemical company whose various toxics might have caused the cancer. While I have my criticisms of this book, I would (as a college teacher myself) consider it right on target for college students: historically informative and useful for starting an ethics discussion.

Jeff Smith

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sandie Knes [[removed]@llcoop.org]
> Sent: Friday, January 10, 2003 7:58 AM
> To: Fiction_L
> Subject: Contemporary American Literary Fiction
>
>
> My daughter has an assignment for her college class that presents an
> interesting (IMHO) query. She needs to read a book of "Contemporary
> American Literary Fiction" preferable written by a fairly new author.
>
> She has some ideas already and I'm not sending this out for
> her as much
> as for myself and possible creation of a bibliography for our library.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Sandie Knes, Director
> Loutit District Library
> 407 Columbus Street
> Grand Haven MI 49417
> 616-842-5560, extension 212
> [removed]@llcoop.org
>
>
>
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://fictionl.webrary.org
>

FROM: "Katherine Merrill" <[removed]@hotmail.com>
REC'D: 1/10/03, 2:39 PM

Our Contemporary American Literature class offered here at SUNY Geneseo is a
course survey of influential and representative authors since WWII -- is
this equivalent? Here's a few examples:
Jane Smiley
Tim O"Brien
Leslie Marmon Silko
Anne Tyler
Richard Russo
Russell Banks
Thomas Pynchon (very difficult)
Ralph Ellison

Katherine Merrill
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Milne Library
SUNY Geneseo
(585) 245-5064
[removed]@geneseo.edu

>From: "Sandie Knes" <[removed]@llcoop.org>
>Reply-To: "Fiction_L" <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
>To: Fiction_L <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
>Subject: Contemporary American Literary Fiction
>Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2003 10:58:20 -0500
>
>My daughter has an assignment for her college class that presents an
>interesting (IMHO) query. She needs to read a book of "Contemporary
>American Literary Fiction" preferable written by a fairly new author.
>
>She has some ideas already and I'm not sending this out for her as much
>as for myself and possible creation of a bibliography for our library.
>
>Any suggestions?
>
>Sandie Knes, Director
>Loutit District Library
>407 Columbus Street
>Grand Haven MI 49417
>616-842-5560, extension 212
[removed]@llcoop.org
>
>
>
>
>......................................................................
>Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
>Everything Fiction_L: http://fictionl.webrary.org

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FROM: Dennis Lien <[removed]@tc.umn.edu>
REC'D: 1/10/03, 2:49 PM

At 11:07 AM 1/10/03 -0700, you wrote:
>How about Leif Enger (Peace Like a River) and a fairly new author, Tracy
Chevalier (Girl with a Pearl Earring)?
>
>Lisa

Enger published five mystery novels, co-written with his brother, under
the name L.L. Enger from 1990-1994, so to my mind he's not a "new"
author, no matter how much book reviewers seem determined to rewrite
history...

Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // [removed]@tc.umn.edu

FROM: "christine jeffords" <[removed]@hotmail.com>
REC'D: 1/11/03, 7:24 AM

>From: "Sandie Knes" <[removed]@llcoop.org>
>Reply-To: "Fiction_L" <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
>To: Fiction_L <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
>Subject: Contemporary American Literary Fiction
>Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2003 10:58:20 -0500
>
>My daughter has an assignment for her college class that presents an
>interesting (IMHO) query. She needs to read a book of "Contemporary
>American Literary Fiction" preferable written by a fairly new author.
>

It would help if her prof had offered some kind of description of what
constitutes "contemporary American literary fiction." Contemporary--must it
be set in modern times, or just written in them? American--can it be
anything an American writer has written, regardless of where set?
Literary--just what *is* literary? The only clear term in the whole thing
is "fiction"!

That much said, one title that leaps to my mind is "Cold Sassy Tree," by
Olive Ann Burns, recently suggested for the senior men's discussion group.
It's fairly recent but has already attained minor-classic status, and it is
set in America, though not in modern times.

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FROM: "Smith, Jeff" <[removed]@marshall.usc.edu>
REC'D: 1/11/03, 1:15 PM

>
> It would help if her prof had offered some kind of
> description of what
> constitutes "contemporary American literary fiction."
> Contemporary--must it
> be set in modern times, or just written in them? American--can it be
> anything an American writer has written, regardless of where set?
> Literary--just what *is* literary? The only clear term in
> the whole thing
> is "fiction"!
>

True enough, but I suspect that in contemporary American professorese, "CALF" refers to fiction of the kind that (a) gets respectfully reviewed in places like the New Yorker, New York Review of Books, NY Times Book Review, etc., (b) gets at least considered for the major book awards, and (c) if it gets made into movies, becomes what people in Hollywood call "prestige pictures." A handy guide would be the words assigned to the book on its own flap or back cover. If these are words like "thrilling," "fast-paced," "explosive," etc., if the blurb speaks of "time running out" and insists that "only one man can" do X [=some heroic deed] before Y [=some awful thing happens], then it's not CALF. But if the key words include some combination of "rich," "poignant," "profound" or "deeply felt," and especially if the book is said to "explore" anything, then it is.

Jeff Smith

FROM: "Smith, Jeff" <[removed]@marshall.usc.edu>
REC'D: 1/11/03, 1:26 PM

PS: I forgot "sensitive" and "study." If the book or author is said to be "sensitive" or if the novel is a "study" of something, then you're looking at Contemporary American Literary Fiction. (You don't typically see blurbs on "pulp" or "genre" fiction that call it "a poignant, sensitive study of one CIA operative's response to an evil plot that could destroy the world.")

JS

FROM: Candice Michalik <[removed]@yahoo.com>
REC'D: 1/11/03, 2:59 PM

Here are some of my suggestions. Of course,
"literary" is open to interpretation. Most of these
authors are not fairly new:

The Lake of Dead Languages - Carol Goodman
Carrie Brown
John Gregory Brown
Michael Chabon
Alice McDermott
Anita Shreve
Ann Patchett
Barbara Kingsolver

=====
Candice Michalik
Reference Librarian
Lynchburg Public Library
Lynchburg, VA
[removed]@yahoo.com

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FROM: [removed]@netscape.net (Ruth Richards)
REC'D: 1/11/03, 3:42 PM

How about "Plainsong" by Kent Haruf. It is his first successful novel and contains wonderful characters and covers many topics all with grace and finesse.

Ruth Richards
St. Clair Shores Public Library
St. Clair Shores, MI

"Smith, Jeff" <[removed]@marshall.usc.edu> wrote:

>
>PS: I forgot "sensitive" and "study." If the book or author is said to be "sensitive" or if the novel is a "study" of something, then you're looking at Contemporary American Literary Fiction. (You don't typically see blurbs on "pulp" or "genre" fiction that call it "a poignant, sensitive study of one CIA operative's response to an evil plot that could destroy the world.")
>
>JS
>
>......................................................................
>Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
>Everything Fiction_L:  http://fictionl.webrary.org
>

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FROM: Viccy Kemp <[removed]@cityofcarrollton.com>
REC'D: 1/12/03, 1:35 PM

Dear listmates,
All I can offer you are the immortal words of Joe Bob Briggs:
"But why punish yourself? Just keep the following definitions in mind, and
you too will be able to avoid long hours of mind-numbing, brain-deadening
torpor:
A book of "literary snapshots" means nothing happens.
"A lyrical small-town reminiscence" means nothing happens.
"Full of wry insight" means nothing happens.
A "rumination," a "pastiche," a "twinkling little jewel of a novel," "a
quiet catharsis," "a journey through memory" or a "poetic elegy" all mean
NOTHING EVER HAPPENS.
Beware of the "auspicious debut," the "promising first novel" and the
"dazzling maiden performance." This means we're waiting for the SECOND novel
to see if this turkey can write. Has there ever been a book reviewer in
history who has said: "Let's hope this person doesn't ever write again --
once was ENOUGH"?
What's the deal with the "freebie" first-novel review? We don't cut any
slack for filmmakers when they bomb right out of the box."
These are just the definitions we need to describe "contemporary American
literary fiction."
ROTFL
Viccy Kemp
The opinions are my own; the library wouldn't want 'em!

-----Original Message-----
From: Smith, Jeff [[removed]@marshall.usc.edu]
Sent: Saturday, January 11, 2003 1:09 PM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: RE: Contemporary American Literary Fiction

>
> It would help if her prof had offered some kind of
> description of what
> constitutes "contemporary American literary fiction."
> Contemporary--must it
> be set in modern times, or just written in them? American--can it be
> anything an American writer has written, regardless of where set?
> Literary--just what *is* literary? The only clear term in
> the whole thing
> is "fiction"!
>

True enough, but I suspect that in contemporary American professorese,
"CALF" refers to fiction of the kind that (a) gets respectfully reviewed in
places like the New Yorker, New York Review of Books, NY Times Book Review,
etc., (b) gets at least considered for the major book awards, and (c) if it
gets made into movies, becomes what people in Hollywood call "prestige
pictures." A handy guide would be the words assigned to the book on its own
flap or back cover. If these are words like "thrilling," "fast-paced,"
"explosive," etc., if the blurb speaks of "time running out" and insists
that "only one man can" do X [=some heroic deed] before Y [=some awful thing
happens], then it's not CALF. But if the key words include some combination
of "rich," "poignant," "profound" or "deeply felt," and especially if the
book is said to "explore" anything, then it is.

Jeff Smith

......................................................................
Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
Everything Fiction_L: http://fictionl.webrary.org

FROM: Vicki Novak - LIBRARYX <[removed]@MAIL.MARICOPA.GOV>
REC'D: 1/13/03, 1:39 PM

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
Don Delillo (not brand new, but would be considered contemporary)

Vicki Novak
Adult Services Librarian
[removed]@mail.maricopa.gov

North Central Regional Library
Maricopa County Library District
17811 N. 32nd St.
Phoenix, AZ 85032
http://mcld.maricopa.gov

-----Original Message-----
From: Sandie Knes [[removed]@llcoop.org]
Sent: Friday, January 10, 2003 8:58 AM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: Contemporary American Literary Fiction

My daughter has an assignment for her college class that presents an
interesting (IMHO) query. She needs to read a book of "Contemporary
American Literary Fiction" preferable written by a fairly new author.

She has some ideas already and I'm not sending this out for her as much
as for myself and possible creation of a bibliography for our library.

Any suggestions?

Sandie Knes, Director
Loutit District Library
407 Columbus Street
Grand Haven MI 49417
616-842-5560, extension 212
[removed]@llcoop.org

FROM: "christine jeffords" <[removed]@hotmail.com>
REC'D: 1/17/03, 7:55 AM

(Well, it *is* a CALF, isn't it? <g>) If the college student is still
looking, she might try going to http://www.noblenet.org/wakefield/. Click
on "Book Lists" on the left side of the screen, then scroll down to the
"Oprahlikes" link. The page lists all of Oprah's picks and, in several
instances, books that are similar to them; most are recent (published since
1990) and American.

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