National Book Awards

Godmother of Punk Patti Smith Talks New Album, Book and Burroughs: "I wanted to come to St. Louis because I just wanted to say hello to William."

Patti Smith reads from her poetry and performs a rock set at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (3750 Washington Boulevard; 314-535-4660 ) Sunday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30. There's no simple way to describe Patti Smith, the profoundly influential, incantatory songstress, poet, artist and writer ... More >>

A Poetry Reading for Your Valentine's Day Pleasure

We don't know how you can possibly not know this, but here's a gentle reminder, dear readers: Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. So why not celebrate with what is arguably the most romantic of the arts: poetry! (Argument may come from those who support cooking) C.D. Wright and Forrest Gander, who also ha ... More >>

Carl Phillips in Running to Become Susan Lucci of Poetry World

Jennifer SilverbergPhillips, shut out again. Andy, still adorable.​Last night the National Book Award committee decided for the fourth time not to give the poetry prize to Carl Phillips, Wash. U. professor and one of St. Louis' most awesome poets. Four times, people! What is up with that? Now ... More >>

Carl Phillips Nominated for National Book Award -- For the Fourth Time [UPDATED]

Jennifer SilverbergCarl Phillips and Andy.​Maybe the fourth time's the charm. The National Book Award nominees were announced today and St. Louis's own Carl Phillips is on the shortlist for poetry for his eleventh and latest collection, Double Shadow, which came out last March. (Phillips has ... More >>

Author Bonnie Jo Campbell Talks About Hunting, Shooting and Once Upon a River

image viaBonnie Jo Campbell​Bonnie Jo Campbell will be in town tonight to help kick off this year's River Styx reading series at Duff's. (It starts at 7:30.) You should go. This may be your last chance to see Campbell up close and personal and buy her a beer before she becomes really, really f ... More >>

What to Read When You're Snowed In

image via​A power outage could take your beloved Internet,TV and Wii away from you, but fortunately, there are other forms of entertainment besides Charades. Like books! (That is provided you have a flashlight or a candle.) Nikki Furrer, owner of Pudd'nhead Books (currently the reigning Best ... More >>

Franzen Nominated for Another Prestigious Award

Does the Bad Sex in Fiction Award come with a little sticker that goes on the cover?​Jonathan Franzen's latest novel Freedom may not have been nominated for the National Book Award (though it sold way more copies than the eventual winner, Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon -- which Daily RFT paid abs ... More >>

A Century After His Death, Twain is Back Atop of the Best-Seller List

image via​October has been a rough month for Jonathan Franzen. First his glasses got stolen. Then he didn't get nominated for the National Book Award. And now Freedom has been overtaken and surpassed on the Amazon best-seller list by volume one of The Autobiography of Mark Twain. Yeah, Franzen ... More >>

Can it Be? National Book Award Thinks Freedom is Not the Greatest Novel of Our Time

​It's a tragedy beyond words: The National Book Award nominees were announced today -- and Freedom is not among them! Instead, the five nominees are Great House by Nicole Krauss, Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey, So Much For That by Lionel Shriver, Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon ... More >>

Jonathan Franzen Comes to Town, Gets Adulation and a Marriage Proposal

No photos were allowed while Franzen was reading (Kris Kleindienst threatened violence), but imagine, if you will, him standing behind this podium in a dark gray checked shirt and jeans.​All hail the Mighty Franzen, who finally returned to his hometown last night, just days after his anointmen ... More >>

In Missouri, Banned Books Week Starts Early

image viaThis is Wesley Scroggins, the man who will protect the children of Republic from dirty books.​And by "banned books" we don't mean honoring books that allegedly concerned parents want removed from library shelves so they don't corrupt their sweet little innocents. We mean a concerted e ... More >>

And Then Along Comes Franzen

From Mark Twain to Jonathan Franzen, St. Louis has been home to a surprising number of great writers

Jonathan Franzen's Face Graces Cover of Time

​Webster Grovians, prepare yourselves! Tomorrow the newest edition of Time magazine hits newsstands, featuring, on its cover, the tortured visage of native son Jonathan Franzen beside the headline "Great American Novelist". Franzen is the first living writer to grace the magazine's cover since ... More >>