Books Update: True Grit

Donna Tartt on the life and work of Charles Portis

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story June 26, 2020 John Wayne, left, and Charles Portis, on the set of the 1969 movie version of Portis’s novel “True Grit.” Portis “understood, and conveyed, the grain of America, in ways that may prove valuable in future to historians trying to understand what was decent about us as a nation,” Donna Tartt writes.Paramount Pictures, via Photofest Dear Reader, Charles Portis is one of those writers whose names regularly elicit descriptors like “underappreciated” or “writers’ writer.” When he died earlier this year, The Times’s obituary referred to him as “possibly the nation’s best unknown writer.” Portis is also a favorite of journalists, possibly in part because he once was one. As our obituary noted, “He had covered the civil rights movement in the South: riots in Birmingham, Ala.; the jailing of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Albany, Ga.; Gov. George C. Wallace’s attempt to stop the desegregation of the University of Alabama,” before leaving The New York Herald Tribune in 1964 to write fiction full time. Donna Tartt, the best-selling author of “The Goldfinch,” “The Secret History” and “The Little Friend,” writes our cover essay on Portis, whom she knew. She recorded the audiobook version of “True Grit,” which is probably his best-known novel and the basis for a terrific movie by the Coen brothers (as well as a 1969 adaptation starring John Wayne). Tartt also wrote the foreword to a recent edition of the novel. Here, she writes about her relationship with Portis and the full body of his work. Elsewhere in this issue, new fiction by J. Courtney Sullivan and Ottessa Moshfegh, new literature in translation, new graphic novels, new poetry and thrillers. For another glimpse into literary history, please check out our back page, which revives the review James Baldwin wrote for us of Langston Hughes’s “Selected Poems.” Hughes, in turn, also reviewed Baldwin in our pages (“Notes of a Native Son”). For the record, we do not allow reciprocal reviews anymore! But we are happy to have these treasures from our archives to look back on. Please stay in touch and let us know what you think — whether it’s about this newsletter, our reviews, our podcast, our literary calendar, our Instagram or what you’re reading. We read and ponder all of it. I even write back, albeit belatedly. You can email me at books@nytimes.com. Pamela Paul Editor of The New York Times Book Review @PamelaPaulNYT Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Like this email? Sign-up here or forward it to your friends. Have a suggestion or two on how we can improve it? Let us know at newsletters@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. THE BOOK REVIEW PODCAST A Short Guide to ‘The World’ Richard Haass talks about his new primer on global affairs, and Abhrajyoti Chakraborty discusses translated novels. FICTION fiction A Babysitter, Her Employer and $46 Hand Soap “Friends and Strangers,” a new novel by J. Courtney Sullivan, examines the complex dynamic between a young mother and the college student who cares for her new baby. By Claire Lombardo fiction Psychological Thrillers That Will Mess With Your Head In these four deeply unsettling novels, nothing is as it seems. By Sarah Lyall fiction In Ottessa Moshfegh’s New Novel, Nothing Is Certain. Not Even Death. In “Death in Her Hands,” the latest book by the much admired author, a woman who may or may not be mad tries to solve a murder that may not have occurred. By Ruth Franklin fiction How Did Bram Stoker Dream Up ‘Dracula’? A Novel Offers Hints Joseph O’Connor’s “Shadowplay” explores Stoker’s time as a London theater worker and his fiery relationship with the actor-manager Henry Irving. By Miranda Seymour poetry For 3 Poets Who Embrace Excess, the Mess Is the Message Our poetry columnist reviews “My Baby First Birthday,” by Jenny Zhang, “Toxicon and Arachne,” by Joyelle McSweeney, and “DMZ Colony,” by Don Mee Choi. By Elisa Gabbert fiction Paid to Seduce Another Man’s Wife, He Fell Violently in Love With Her “What’s Left of Me Is Yours,” a debut novel by Stephanie Scott, is inspired by the events surrounding an unlikely murder that occurred in Japan. By Tobias Grey fiction A Life in Football, From Glory to Pain Katherine Hill’s novel “A Short Move” follows a professional linebacker whose stardom on the field comes at a cost. By Bill Roorbach graphic content Superman Returns, to Beat Up the Klan A new Superman comic, written by Gene Luen Yang, and a medical memoir about a rare and debilitating disease are both featured in the latest Graphic Content column. By Hillary Chute Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT fiction Four Social Novels in Translation Consider the World’s Ills Works by Yu Miri, Carlos Manuel Álvarez, Adania Shibli and Nathacha Appanah examine inequality and political upheaval. By Abhrajyoti Chakraborty NONFICTION nonfiction The Funny Thing About Depression Is ... In a new book of essays, “The Hilarious World of Depression,” the podcast host John Moe explains how a sense of humor has saved his life. By Melissa Broder nonfiction When the Price of Freedom Is Detention, Frostbite and Amputation “Between Everything and Nothing,” by Joe Meno, recounts the harrowing quest by two Ghanaian men to gain asylum in North America. By Alexis Okeowo CHILDREN’S BOOKS children’s books ‘I’m Here,’ Outside Says. ‘I Miss You.’ For children who have been indoors for a long time, these five picture books about the wonders of the natural world will be a breath of fresh air. By Sophie Blackall FEATURES Donna Tartt on the Singular Voice, and Pungent Humor, of Charles Portis Portis, who died in February, occupied a unique place in American letters. His novels, written in the vernacular of his native Arkansas, beg to be read aloud. By Donna Tartt by the book Roddy Doyle Scored 8 Out of 10 on a Quiz About Roddy Doyle “I was actually quite pleased.” revived When James Baldwin and Langston Hughes Reviewed Each Other Authors aren’t allowed mutual reviews in the Book Review anymore, but in the 1950s there was a moment of kismet. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT New & Noteworthy, From Kevin Kwan to a Call for Integration A selection of recent titles of interest; plus, a peek at what our colleagues around the newsroom are reading. Ahab’s White Whale and Other Letters to the Editor Readers respond to recent issues of the Sunday Book Review. editors’ choice 9 New Books We Recommend This Week Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times. inside the list Want to Be in Stacey Abrams’s Book Club? Sorry, It’s Family Only The best-selling author and former minority leader for the Georgia House of Representatives has a lot going on, but she still makes time for fiction. By Elisabeth Egan New in Paperback: ‘The Nickel Boys’ and ‘Confirmation Bias’ Six new paperbacks to check out this week. By Jennifer Krauss Best Sellers Combined Print & E-Book Fiction Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction Hardcover Fiction Hardcover Nonfiction Paperback Trade Fiction Paperback Nonfiction All Lists New International Books Illustration by Thoka Maer Your sneak preview of books coming out in 2020 from around the world. Get globetrotting. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Books from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018