posted
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. Posts: 30 | Registered: Feb 2003
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we're covering them pretty extensively in the class, so it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense to have someone pick 'em.
Posts: 30 | Registered: Feb 2003
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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. . .
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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.
posted
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.... Posts: 3 | Registered: Sep 2003
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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 ]
Posts: 968 | Registered: Sep 2003
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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.
Posts: 1550 | Registered: Jun 1999
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You know.... I bet Mama meant Margaret Atwood, not Margaret Underwood. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's who she meant. Posts: 968 | Registered: Sep 2003
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