LIt Randomness: Jim Carroll, Why Writers Can't Talk, Donald Ray Pollock & more

The Last Days of Jim Carroll: At NY Times

A “brilliant work of art” is what Mr. Carroll’s ardent, loyal fans were hoping for in his novel, and what the writer himself must have passionately wished for. A successful novel might have meant that he would not be marginalized as an aging “punk poet,” as he was in some recent obituaries. Given his health, it might have constituted his most unlikely comeback yet.

Remember, it's not your fault you can't hold a conversation: At NY Times

Excellent interview with Donal Ray Pollock, author of Knockemstiff: At The Rumpus

As for the humor, I worked in a paper mill all my adult life and there were a lot of funny guys there. So you pick up on that. Even though something really bad might have happened to somebody you can still make a joke out of it. I tried to put a lot of humor in the book because the situations, the things that happen in my stories—if there wasn’t any humor, by the time you finished reading the book you’d probably want to kill yourself.

Review--The Year Before the Flood: At PopMatters

Remember when we did that series on crime noir? This has nothing to do with that per se. But here's an article about Jim Thompson and his autobiographical writings: At Pop Matters.