I haven’t read much of the prolific Robert Coover’s books. I have very fond memories of two of his early works:

The Cat in the Hat for President from 1968 was originally published in the fourth issue of the New American Review. It’s about just what it sounds like it’s about – the Cat in the Hat runs for president. 1968 was one of those years that made anything seem possible.

The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop. is about a guy who creates an early fantasy baseball league. It’s about baseball but also about larger issues like destiny.

Hiaasen is one of my favorite authors and I was glad to see this.. I have seen him in person three times. His books are very funny, good mysteries and always include something on the environment.

Here’s a link to a New York Times article on three authors from the South. They are all worth reading. I saw Barry Hannah and Larry Brown read at the bookstore Chapters in Washington, DC. I have included photos of some of the books they signed. I also have a signed Harry Crews book but never saw him in person.

Joy Williams is a fine author. I have read some of her books and recommend Taking Care, Breaking and Entering, and Escapes. I really enjoyed the New York Times interview where she kept pushing back against the interviewer’s questions. It’s tough and unsparing, just like her books.

This sure sounds like our world today.

I have been reading the New York Times Book Review since I was young and still subscribe to a paper copy. It’s been a great source of ideas on what to read.

From a New York Times book review of a collection of writings by Christopher Hitchens – the bold emphasis is mine:

Hitchens had that quality, rarer than it should be, of knowing what to notice. In a review of Gore Vidal’s memoir, “Palimpsest,” he reminds us that Vidal wrote: “I should note that the only advantage for a child in having an alcoholic parent is that you acquire, prematurely, quite a bit of valuable data.” Spying Henry Kissinger in the Sistine Chapel gawping at the Hell section of “The Last Judgment,” Vidal commented: “Look, he’s apartment hunting.“

The complete review: