I have to write a review for Library Journal tonight for Mary Gaitskill’s essay collection Somebody with a Little Hammer. I haven’t read her before, fiction or otherwise. This collection spans a couple decades with pieces from 1994 – 2016 and include book reviews, personal essays, essays about music and TV shows. The older stuff feels dated. There were a couple personal essays I really liked. Overall I thought it meh.
But, more interestingly, The Mall of America is looking for a writer in residence. This monstrosity is only about a 10 minute drive from my house. It has a Barnes and Noble. Bookman and I went there to walk around on Christmas Eve. It was the first time we had been there in about two years.
However, if any of you writers out there apply and get to be the writer in residence, I will come and visit you! Depending on the time of year of your residency, I might even be able to rescue you for a little while and help you escape from the mall madness. Let me know!
Ha, I heard about the writer in residence at the mall today, too — I live even closer to it than you do. I actually thought about applying for it… for a whole 30 seconds. Then I remembered how much I dislike spending time there and how being in a crowd ramps up my anxiety. Nope! (My “favorite” part is that the payment is a $400 gift card — I can’t imagine spending all that time there and then have to return to spend it.)
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Lynda, should I worry that you even thought of applying however short the thought? 😉 Heh, that $400 gift card is sooo tempting. Think of all the Legos you could buy! Or the number of roller coaster rides you could go on!
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Wow, a writer-in-residence at the Mall of America! I nominate Jonathan Franzen. 😉
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Ha! AMB you crack me up! 😀
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This wouldnt be my idea of a place conducive to creativity. All that noise for one thing. Mind you, it could give invaluable access to people watching and thus character development
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BookerTalk, yes, it is a very loud mall. There is an amusement park in the middle of it with roller coasters and a log ride and more. There is no escape from all the noise! But, yes, the people watching is incredible because people come from all over the world.
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This sounds totally bizarre. What professional is really going to want “Mall of America writer-in-residence” on their CV?!
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Elle, it is odd, that’s for sure. It is part of their 25th anniversary celebration and actually I heard last night that they have already had something like 500 applications!
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Oh Lord!
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How bizarre! I have been there once – I was in college and spending a long weekend in St. Paul with a college friend. I was so broke then that all I bought was a copy of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey! 🙂
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Laila, I think that is one of the best things you could have bought at the mall! 🙂
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Too bad about the Gaitskill–I have not yet read her but I think I have a novel or two of hers on my shelves. I can’t imagine working in a mall–even with a job that includes books or writing. But I guess to be optimistic-I hope they are offering some person a good job with a very livable wage!
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Danielle, I feel a little bad about not liking the Gaitskill that much as I have since seen reviews that praise it to the skies. Heh, malls seems antithetical to writing, don’t they? The position is only for a week and the writer gets to stay at the Merriot attached to the mall which is new and quite nice. There are lots of good places to eat too, not just Panda Express and Cinnabon. So I suppose it wouldn’t be all that bad. Maybe?
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