Show #7-15 – March 16, 2008
A.J Jacobs
Writer A.J. Jacobs takes research to the extreme. He once read all 32 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica and wrote about it in his book Know it All. For his latest, Jacobs spent 12 months following the rules of the Bible to the letter. The result is a year of charity and chastity and Jacobs even found a way to stone an adulterer.
Will Self
The absurdity of taking an old book too literally is also at the heart of Will Self's latest. In Book of Dave, the writings of a demented London cabbie are found by a future generation who treat the newly discovered work as the basis for a new religion. The result is savage satire.
The Rundown
A look at this week's literary newsmakers, including Philippa Gregory, Charles Taylor Prize 2008, CBC Literary Awards
Kate Jacobs
For new novelist Kate Jacobs, writing The Friday Night Knitting Club was as therapeutic as a girls' night out. Confessing she's all for chic lit, the book is about the special bonds between women. Its online community has been a hit, and Julia Roberts has already signed on to produce and star in the movie version of the book.
Blackwater
So, what do you get when you combine a U.S. Navy Seal, a lot of money, and a penchant for blurring the line between church and state? You get a private military contractor named Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army.
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