Why We Need Trashy Novels (And We Do)

“We want to say that on the one hand are the good books, the hard books, the books that require dedication of the reader, of the work readers do. The books that Real Writers (apparently a self-selecting class) write. And then there are these others. Yet it’s a strange thing to watch book culture, which is itself in a perpetual stage of fear about its own decline, slice off pieces of its very own flesh.”

Rescuing, And Rebranding, The Orange Prize For Fiction

“After a four-month hiatus, and a media blackout during the long, wet summer, the literary award formerly known, from 1996 to 2012, as the Orange prize announced the restoration of its original title, the Women’s Prize for Fiction (WPF). It would be funded by a group of private benefactors led by Cherie Blair and bestselling writers Joanna Trollope and Elizabeth Buchan.”

Artists Take Sides In Vancouver Debate Over New Building(s)

“The Vancouver Art Gallery is currently housed in a 1906 provincial courthouse that was renovated by Arthur Erickson Architects before its opening in 1983. People may love the location, but it’s hard to find anyone in the visual-art community who thinks the space is adequate.” What – or where – is the VAG’s next move? Artists, the board, the gallery director, and a prominent donor don’t see eye to eye.