On this week’s show, I talk to Vanessa Blakeslee about what Aristotle's Poetics can teach us about fiction writing today, Plus Kevin Bray writes about reading John Gardner's On Becoming a Novelist. TEXTS DISCUSSED Poetics (Penguin Classics)" High Before Homeroom" The Blind Assassin"Success" On Becoming a Novelist" NOTES This new project--discussing relevant books about the craft of storytelling--is a continuation of a long defunct feature of the show. Two years ago, Jaroslav Kalfař and I discussed Stephen King's On Writing on episode 6 and John Gardner's The Art of Fiction on episode 2. Quoting George Orwell in an shockingly Orwellian way, Amazon has undertaken a weird counter-compaign to the Authors United movement, according to David Streitfield in The Times. Check out the statement from Authors United that led to this counter-campaign.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.