Alberto Manguel— There are characters whose name reveals their skin color (Snow White), their ability (Spiderman), their size (Thumbelina). Others, their dress. A short blood-colored cape defines the adventurous girl dreamt up by Charles Perrault towards the end of the seventeenth century. She has a whiff of the guileless temptress,
Yale University Press: What is your earliest memory of connecting deeply with a literary character? How old were you, who was it, and what do you remember feeling at the time? Alberto Manguel: Because I learned to read when I was about four, my earliest remembered stories are those of
Alberto Manguel— I would argue that public libraries, holding both virtual and material texts, are an essential instrument to counter loneliness. I would defend their place as society’s memory and experience. I would say that without public libraries, and without a conscious understanding of their role, a society of the
Feed your book cravings with a book about book, it’s International Book Lovers Day! This list features books about reading books, writing books, studying books, and the history of the book format itself. Book yourself some time to book up in a comfy chair and book out. (How many times
The following is an excerpt from Alberto Manguel’s latest book, Curiosity. The word itself has been seen through the ages as the impulse that drives our knowledge forward and the temptation that leads us toward dangerous and forbidden waters. Here, Manguel explains the origins of the word as he sets the scene
Alberto Manguel has a beautiful library. His life has been dedicated to the art and collection of books. The Argentine-born writer was once a reader to Jorge Luis Borges, who, blind by this point, nurtured Manguel’s interest in literature. In the time since, Manguel has become a world-renowned translator, editor,
Alberto Manguel delivers the Finzi-Contini Lecture at Yale University, entitled “Borges and the Impossibility of Writing”. He is introduced by Maria Menocal, director of the Whitney Humanities Center. An acclaimed anthologist, translator, essayist, novelist, and editor, Manguel once served as a reader for Jorge Luis Borges and has been hailed
More great links this week: @jonathasmello clues us in on John Cage’s rather strange dietary habits through the video posted above. @drshow (The Diane Rehm Show) links to their interview with Taliban author Ahmed Rashid while @WashUnplugged prepares for their Monday airing. @Fictional 100 and @celticglambert both recommend Alberto Manguel’s
This new regular blog feature presents a weekly roundup of interesting links related to Yale University Press, courtesy of the keen-eyed citizens of the Twitterverse: @cafsimard reflects on Alberto Manguel’s troublingly negative review of Roberto Bolaño’s latest work. @flloydpk quotes a particularly tongue-twisting passage from Edith Grossman’s Why