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Philip Roth

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27 Awesome Photos of Cultural Icons at Prom

By Emily Temple on

Now that May is here, there’s no ignoring it: our tackiest American teenage rite of passage is approaching. That’s right, it’s prom season. Whether this conjures up cringe-worthy memories or no memories at all for you, not to worry — hosts of your favorite cultural icons have gone through it too, with varying degrees of grace. Click through for a collection of some of the greatest photos of actors, politicians, musicians, and even writers in their prom-night… Read More

Books

‘Philip Roth: Unmasked’ Might Convert Skeptics, But Doesn’t Do Much Unmasking

By Emily Temple on

I’m not a Philip Roth fan. To be fair, I haven’t tried very hard to be. Sure, several years ago, at the insistence of a (male, Jewish) friend, I tried Portnoy’s Complaint, but couldn’t make it past 50 pages. It’s not that I found it shocking, of course – I was mostly just bored.  Since then, Philip Roth has settled into the category of authors I vaguely feel that I should be reading, but who I can never seem to get to when there are so many Calvino and Nabokov and Gaitskill books to divert my attention. This lukewarm disinterest has been encouraged by reports from the front – of Roth’s rampant misogyny in both life and art, of his distracting self-obsession in the same, of the idea that “he goes on and on and on about the same subject in almost every single book. It’s as though he’s sitting on your face and you can’t breathe.” Now, where’s that ragged copy of Pnin? … Read More

Books

Fascinating Photos of Famous Authors as Teenagers

By Emily Temple on

Over the weekend, Vol.1 Brooklyn pointed us towards a delightful collection of never-before-seen photographs of Ernest Hemingway as a teenager, in all his handsomely smug glory. Inspired, we took it upon ourselves to dig up a handful of snapshots of other legendary authors in those awkward (or not so awkward, as the case may be) teenage years, before they penned the words that made them… Read More

Books

10 of Philip Roth’s Grumpiest Quotes

By Emily Temple on

Today, if you can believe it, is the venerable Philip Roth’s 80th birthday. Considered by many to be the greatest American writer of our time, he is also notoriously cantankerous — he dislikes interviews, and when he grants them, he refuses to give an inch; he does his best to dissuade young writers from taking up the craft; he doesn’t care what you think. This is, obviously, sort of delightful. After the jump, on the occasion of his becoming an official octogenarian, ten of Philip Roth’s grumpiest moments. … Read More

Film

Flavorwire’s Guide to Indie Flicks to See in March

By Jason Bailey on

It’s been a couple of months since our last indie movie roundup, for the simple reason that it’s not just the majors that save their weakest releases for the first of the year; there wasn’t a whole lot to crow about at the art houses recently either, aside from 2012 holdovers. But as winter becomes spring, we’re starting to see some interesting foreign and indie releases; a quick rundown of our favorites awaits you after the jump. … Read More

Books

10 of the Most Divisive Authors in Recent History

By Emily Temple on

Recently, we stumbled upon an article over at Open Letters Monthly that asked, “Is Cormac McCarthy a Terrible Writer?” The author, Rohan Maitzen, discusses McCarthy’s particular prose style in The Road, which has been celebrated by some and roundly reviled by others. We’ve always been interested in the idea that many of the greatest writers also seem to have the most detractors, so to explore further, we’ve rounded up a few of the most divisive authors in recent… Read More

Books

Extremely Silly Photos of Extremely Serious Writers

By Emily Temple on

[Editor's note: In celebration of the holidays, we're spending the next two Tuesdays by counting down the top 12 Flavorwire features of 2012. This post, at #8, was originally published May 11th.] Every writer, no matter how serious, needs to let off a little steam now and then. Those oh-so-important mental health days might be filled with hobbies (from baking to beekeeping) or drinking (every writer’s default hobby), or just plain goofing around with friends. Luckily for us, some of these author’s kookiest, most candid moments have been captured on film, so we can all feel a little closer to our favorite literary heroes. Click through to check out our gallery of refreshingly silly photos of famous writers, and if you’ve seen a photo we haven’t, share the wealth and link to it in the comments! … Read More

New York

35 New York Authors’ Favorite New York Authors

By Emily Temple on

We don’t know about you, but we’re always in the market for a new literary discovery. And when you’re on the hunt for a new book or a new writer to delve into, who better to ask than the folks who make their livings reading and writing themselves? With that in mind, we asked a few of the most important living New York authors to name-drop some of their favorite living New York authors — and what do you know? We have a few in common. After the jump, find out who 35 amazing NYC-based authors keep on their nightstands, and let us know your own favorite NYC writers in the comments. … Read More

Books

36 Famous Writers on Philip Roth’s Retirement

By Emily Temple on

In the course of creating our list of New York’s 100 Most Important Living Writers, we reached out to a few of said figures to ask them a couple questions, including the query of the hour: “How do you feel about Philip Roth retiring?” We got a lot of responses — some quippy, some heartfelt, some sad, some glad (it’s true), and more than one with a theory on Roth’s true plans, which any of you in mourning will be glad to attach yourselves to. See what writers like Junot Díaz, Gay Talese, A.M. Homes and Gary Shteyngart had to say about the great man’s retirement after the jump — and if you’re so inclined, share your own, less famous feelings in the comments. … Read More

New York

New York’s 100 Most Important Living Writers

By Flavorwire Staff on

Philip Roth’s recently announced retirement got us thinking about the state of New York City’s literary landscape. As a result, we’ve compiled a list of the city’s 100 most important… Read More