Paul Auster & Siri Hustveldt on the Contemporary Novel

The state of the American novel is at a bit of a crossroads. Should writers care? Paul Auster & Siri Hustveldt discuss it in Portland Tuesday, January 24. Keep reading for more info. 

The state of the American novel is at a bit of a crossroads. On the one hand, folks like David Foster Wallace and Aimee Bender’s lush, formal experiments tread in Italo Calvino’s long shadow, while on the other hand, James Frey’s bestseller memoir A Million Little Pieces turned out to be largely fabulist. Oprah couldn’t put it down at night and called it "like nothing you’ve ever read before". The thing is, no one thought it was well-written. What do people want to read? The plot that cannot be denied or the language that makes you give thanks for alphabets? And, should writers care? Paul Auster’s fiction and screen work is both addictively plotted and intricately experimental. His latest, Brooklyn Follies (2005), takes one more crack at redemption in the face of death.  He and the novelist Siri Hustveldt, who happens to be his wife, will discuss the state of the contemporary novel Tuesday, January 24th at 7:30 at the First Congregational Church, 1126 SW Park.  General admission is $12, from Literary Arts or at the door. Previewed by Nora McCrea