This month's fabulous prize draw item comes from McSweeney's . They generously donated a new, hardback copy of Michael Chabon's 'Maps and Legends'. Darren Franich, from McSweeney's sent me this blurb of Chabon's newest non-fiction work:
'Michael Chabon's sparkling first book of nonfiction is a love song in sixteen parts — a series of linked essays in praise of reading and writing, with subjects running from ghost stories to comic books, Sherlock Holmes to Cormac McCarthy. Throughout, Chabon energetically argues for a return to the thrilling, chilling origins of storytelling, rejecting the false walls around "serious" literature in favor of an wide-ranging affection. His own fiction, meanwhile, is explored from the perspective of personal history: post-collegiate desperation sparks his debut, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh; procrastination and doubt reveal the way toward Wonder Boys; a love of comics and a basement golem combine to create the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay; and an enigmatic Yiddish phrasebook unfurls into The Yiddish Policeman's Union.'
To enter to win this book and increase your reading total just leave me a comment telling me what your favourite myth or legend is by 13:00 GMT March 1st. The myth you choose can be from any culture and you can include a brief plot summary if you like, I'm fascinated with myths.Only official members of 'The Year of Readers' (those who have signed up via the site's Mr Linky) are eligible to enter this contest. This contest is open to official participants from all countries and continents. The winner will be decided using a random number generator and the book will be posted to the winner at no cost, regardless of where they live in the world (although I can't legislate for any customs charges that might be made by your country).
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7 comments:
Count me in for the drawing!
My favorite myth is Little Red Riding Hood. It's something about that story that makes me seek out the different versions from it. One of my favorite retellings is from Angela Carter entitled "The Company of Wolves".
Count me in too, please.
I like all the Greek myths but my favorite is probably Demeter and Persephone and Hades, where Persephone has to spend half the year with Hades because she ate six pomegranate seeds.
Kelly
My favorite legend is King Arthur. I like the ideas the legend embodies.
I love Michael Chabon!
I love the legend of Boudicea. I first read about her in high school and fell in love with the idea of a Celtic warrior queen. :)
My favorite myth is one my mother made up when I was a child. She told me the villains of the stories I read would come out of the pages at night if I left the books open. It was probably her way of getting me to take care of my books, and it worked! I'd like to write a story in which the myth comes true.
There are two stories I'm always drawn to - heartbreaking love stories.
Psyche and Cupid, Narcissus and Echo. Even though the first couple ended up happier than the second, what they went through to reach that happiness shows the persistence we must have if we truly love someone.
The second, about a love doomed from the beginning, shows that we really must be careful what we wish for and never let love blind us to the truth - although I know first hand how damn hard that can be!
Great contest! I love reading everyone's answers.
I used to be obsessed with the Arthurian legends as a child and read several versions of the tales including, I am sure, an Enid Blyton version! When I was in my teens it was all about the Greek gods (not Roman for some reason) and that could have been because they were such a disgraceful bunch!
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