Lit Bits & A Bit about Months

• I've finished Antoine Wilson's The Interloper.  This is a tough book to talk about without giving it all away. But. He's done something structurally that has helped me with my own book. I was stuck and now I'm less stuck.  While I've never found early reviews to be accurate, the press Booklist blurb of the book is dead on: "The pleasures of this wry debut novel lie not in wondering if things will turn out badly for Owen but in how badly they will go." I had read this quote before reading the book and thought, "Nah, it can't be."  Oh, but it can.  More to come.
• The LA Times Book Prizes were announced on Friday and my we said/they said look at the winners is up at LAist.
• I owe you things: Wrap-up of the A.M. Homes reading, complete with rudest ever Q & A coverage. Post on Kiran Desai's reading which still has me thinking all sorts of interesting things many weeks later. Thoughts on Jamestown. Thoughts on Distant Star. Overview of the Maggie Nelson & Matthew Sharpe reading on Sunday. A proper wrap-up of poetry month. Those last three poems will be posted.
• So about the months: Last month, it was poetry. This month, it is the Short Story. Next month, it is the world. I'm tuckered after poetry month, yet I can't seem to turn fully away from the Short Story celebration, as it's a form I love and short stories don't get nearly enough attention. But how to participate in a meaningful way? Pointing out one story a day requires a commitment I'm not ready to give, yet only one a week seems paltry when there are so many I love. I think I'll commit to sporadic coverage throughout the month that equals more than four posts but less than 31. Of course, this will pale in comparison to the 62 posts Dan has promised. He baffles me. If you have any short stories or short story collections that you especially love, email me.  They'll appear in the column to the right, in place of the now-passed poetry month listings (which I've moved farther down the column.)
• To start off with a bang, I will cheat, cheat, cheat and say that Pinky's LBC recommendation of Alan DeNiro's Skinny Dipping in the Lake of the Dead is yummy.  A great short story collection that I'm enjoying immensely.
• Update: Starting off Short Story Month right: the Frank O'Connor Short Story Award long list...