Hatrack River Forum: contemporary lit author suggestions?

This is topic contemporary lit author suggestions? in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by del (Member # 4618) on :

anyway, I'm in a contemporary literature class, and we're supposed to pick an author and do a quasi-presentation on them.... I've found a few that look pretty interesting, but I'm just looking for other ideas. I don't mind "classics" (well, as much as a contemporary book can be a classic, anyway) as long as they're good aside from the whole "well, I can see why this is considered a classic" deal. the only authors off limits are Toni Morisson and Tim O'Brien. "Contemporary" is defined as 70s or later, in this course, by the way...

so, yeah, just looking for author suggestions along with a recommended novel or two. Thanks. [Smile]

Posted by Lead (Member # 918) on :

quote:
the only authors off limits are Toni Morisson and Tim O'Brien.

Out of curiosity, why are they off limits?

One suggestion off the top of my head would be Barbara Kingsolver. I may think of something else later.

~~~Lead

Posted by del (Member # 4618) on :

we're covering them pretty extensively in the class, so it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense to have someone pick 'em.

Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :

Neil Gaimen would be an interesting choice.

Posted by Damien (Member # 5611) on :

http://contemporarylit.about.com/ ?

Posted by del (Member # 4618) on :

actually, I was there already.

was just looking for a few personal opinions. [Frown]

Posted by Damien (Member # 5611) on :

Sorry...I don't read many contemporary works....

I am, however, reading a book that's teaching me a bit of Portuguese. Sorry I'm not much help... best of luck to ya, though! [Hat]

~¤~Damien~¤~

P.S.- I'm still stuck on that last book of the bible... [Wink]

Posted by Irami Osei-Frimpong (Member # 2229) on :

John Gardner

Posted by ae (Member # 3291) on :

Haruki Murakami!

Posted by asQmh (Member # 4590) on :

Nick Hornby would be an interesting choice. John Updike, Don Delillo, Kathleen Norris, Umberto Eco . . .

Does 70s mean "began writing in 1970s" or "Continued writing through 1970s"? Because the latter obviously includes a few more authors, i.e. Chaim Potok. Joyce Carol Oates would be another interesting one, particularly her short stories. . .

I'll think some more on it; looks like fun.

Q.

Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

Louise Erdrich is absolutely phenomenal. I can't recommend her highly enough.

Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :

Beckett wrote through the seventies . . .

Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :

Douglas Adams
Pat Conroy

Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :

Well, I really loved the works of Canadian novelist Robertson Davies. He died in 1995, but continued writing up til shortly before his death. There's a nice little summary of his work in an obituary and review titled: Man of myth - Robertson Davies was this century's greatest magic unrealist

The review says a lot more about Davies and his works than I can. I started with Fifth Business and was hooked. The plot turns on how the lives of several characters come to be shaped by one single event - a thrown rock.

[ September 19, 2003, 12:31 PM: Message edited by: sndrake ]

Posted by The Celt (Member # 5697) on :

Are the genres limited? Can you study someone who has written fantasy/sci-fi (not usually accepted in the academic world), horror, or mystery?

If you are limited, I'd recommend Anna Quindlen (sp?), second the recommendation for Barbara Kingsolver, and stop there because I'm not the biggest of contemporary lit fans.

If you're not limited, I have many, many more suggestions.... [Big Grin]

Posted by ana kata (Member # 5666) on :

Mark Salzman!!!!!

He's absolutely my favorite living author! He's surpassed Uncle Orson recently. I recommend him very highly. Start with The Laughing Sutra.

Oh, also the Nobel Prizes for Literature are a great source of good lit fic authors. Here is a page with a complete list of them.

David Maloof, an Australian writer, is a big big recommendation. Also Margaret Underwood, who is a Canadian, and Margaret Drabble, an English writer. These last three I haven't read myself but asked my mom (who reads all the contemporary lit fic and always likes good stuff) and she said they are her very highest recommendations so they're on my list now too.

[ September 19, 2003, 03:33 PM: Message edited by: ana kata ]

Posted by Yebor1 (Member # 1380) on :

Would Ayn Rand still be considered contempory

Im not sure

[Hat]

[ September 19, 2003, 03:35 PM: Message edited by: Yebor1 ]

Posted by amira tharani (Member # 182) on :

Robertson Davies, Margaret Atwood, Ian McEwan, OSC (well, why not?), Potok (though The Chosen and The Promise were pre-1970)... how's that for a list? Oooh, what about Peter Ackroyd? He's a genre-bender if ever there was one and writes amazingly well.

Posted by ana kata (Member # 5666) on :

You know.... I bet Mama meant Margaret Atwood, not Margaret Underwood. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's who she meant. [Smile]