THE LITBLOG CO-OP

Underrated Writers Project

One of our members, Jeff Bryant (Syntax of Things), in conjunction with Trevor of Creekside Review, just posted their second annual, Underrated Writers Project.  Jeff and Trevor asked many other LBC members to be involved this year.  Beyond that added interest, it seems that the UWP also has a very similar mission to that of the LBC.  It is with this in mind that we suggest our readers wander over and take a look at the long list of great writers Jeff, Trevor and their friends have come up with.

Specific mentions must be made of authors in this year's version of the UWP that have also been Litblog Co-op nominees:  Elizabeth Crane, Ed Falco, Jeffrey Ford, Kirby Gann, Michael Martone, Lance Olsen, Sam Savage and Jean-Phillipe Touissant.  And a few of them weren't even nominated by LBC'ers!

Looking Forward

Thanks to everybody who made the discussions of Sideshow, Manbug, and Firmin such interesting reads these past four weeks, and congratulations to those of you walking away with signed copies of Firmin.  We hope that everybody has enjoyed themselves reading and discussing this trio of titles.

Now, looking forward to our Winter Read This!, we are happy to announce the three nominees so that readers of the LBC Blog can go out and find copies, and read along with us the next two months, preparing to discuss them with us in January.

Scott McKenzie of Slushpile nominated Demon Theory by Stephen Graham Jones - MacAdam/Cage

Anne Fernald of Fernham nominated Seven Loves by Valerie Trueblood - Little Brown

CAAF of Tingle Alley nominated Wizard of the Crow by Ngugi Wa'Thiong'O - Pantheon

So, wander on out and find your own copies to read, and come back Monday, January 15 to see which one we've selected as the Read This! title!

See You in October

That concludes another round of LBC selections and the Read This! Selection.  Thanks for stopping by and being part of the discussion of the four summer nominees.

Please plan on coming back on October 16 when we announce the Autumn 2006 Read This! Selection, and plan on visiting frequently that week and the three following as we take long looks at the next three LBC nominees.

For those who would like to read along with the LBC members, the three titles nominated for Autumn are:

Firmin:  Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife by Sam Savage from Coffee House Press

Sideshow:  Stories by Sidney Thompson from River City Publishing

Manbug by George Ilsley from Arsenal Pulp Press

So, take some time to read these fine titles and come back October 16 to find out if we've chosen your favorite of the bunch for the Autumn 2006 Read This! Selection, and then keep coming back and join the literary discussions over the next month.

We hope to see you then.