My Literary Addendum to a Journalistic Post

After writing about some of my journalistic "heroes," I thought that, perhaps, I should maintain some balance and look at some of my literary favorites.

Then I began to really start to think that this sounded stupid.

If I made a list of three writers then I would obviously leave some out.

Also, Bill would seem a little out of place with some of the more contemporary writers I enjoy.

Besides, how cliched is it to name Shakespeare or Hemingway as your favorite writer. I don't want to do that.

So, I've decided to stay focused on more recent -- and breathing -- authors.

In no real particular order:

Michael Chabon -- The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay Okay I said no real order but this may be ordered, slightly. Chabon wrote an exceptional book that became an exceptional movie with Wonder Boys. The book deals alot with unrealized talent and a writer that cannot produce a second book. That wasn't a problem with Chabon. He followed up Wonder Boys with the Pulitzer winning Kavalier and Clay. The book touches on comic books, Harry Houdini, Jewish fear and anger at Nazi Germany and the American Dream. This is probably my favorite book.

Dave Eggers -- A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius The title alone makes this book a worthy read. This is Egger's first book. The book is a memior that contains some embellishments. But not James Frey type embellishments. Egger's tells the reader where to look for the fiction in his numerous prefaces and forewards. Egger's is also the founder of McSweeney's.

Johnathan Safran Foer -- Everything is Illuminated This book is excellent. Three intertwined storylines criss and cross without once becoming tangled. The three distinct voices achieve this trick as the story slowly unfolds toward an unexpected twist that does not upset the beautiful story before it. I recently watched the movie adaptation that is a merely adequate portrayal of a nearly impossible book to adapt.

I think I will stop at these three as I only used three journalists. And these are sufficient. There are, of course, others, like David Sedaris, but I think the three above highlight the bright crop of relatively young authors in this time when some insist that the written word is dying.