Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Magic Hours
Magic Hours: Essays on Creators and Creation | Tom Bissell
8 posts | 1 read | 7 to read
In Magic Hours, award-winning essayist Tom Bissell explores the highs and lows of the creative process. He takes us from the set of The Big Bang Theory to the first novel of Ernest Hemingway to the final work of David Foster Wallace; from the films of Werner Herzog to the film of Tommy Wiseau to the editorial meeting in which Paula Fox's work was relaunched into the world. Originally published in magazines such as The Believer, The New Yorker, and Harper's, these essays represent ten years of Bissell's best writing on every aspect of creationbe it Iraq War documentaries or video-game character voicesand will provoke as much thought as they do laughter. What are sitcoms for exactly? Can art be both bad and genius? Why do some books survive and others vanish? Bissell's exploration of these questions make for gripping, unforgettable reading.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
blurb
jmtrivera
post image

I enjoyed some of these essays more than others, but what all of them had in common was that I really liked Bissell's writing style. That combined w/the theme of creativity & creators really inspired me to want to begin writing again. I've been craving writing time for days now. I probably most appreciated "A Simple Medium" & "Invisible Girl," but many others had interesting thoughts to contemplate. It took me a while, but I'm glad I finished it.

blurb
jmtrivera
post image

Spent last night reading about writing about writing about writing. 😄

rretzler 😝 5y
jmtrivera Now you're reading about reading about writing about writing about writing. 😉 5y
19 likes2 comments
blurb
jmtrivera
post image

This is a tentative #MayTBR, but I don't know the next #EclecticReaders pick or if I would rather do some more rereads and series reads. I'm okay with just doing what I feel like, and #ItsGonnaBeMe.
#AMonthofSongs

blurb
jmtrivera
post image

Earned this today. 😆

Want some, @MrBook ?

MrBook 😳😱 #TATERTOTS! 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 I‘m heading over. 5y
jmtrivera @MrBook We'll save you some! 😊 5y
20 likes2 comments
blurb
jmtrivera
post image

I can't quite do a #TBRshelfie because I'm reading most of these by Kindle, and I'm doing some reorganization of my library anyway. However, here are some March goals! #LiteraryLuck

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks These look good!! Good luck 🍀👍🏻 5y
24 likes1 comment
review
AMVP
post image
Mehso-so

Bissell is at his best when writing exclusively about a female referent (the terrific "Invisible Girl") or in the complete absence of one. Otherwise, you get moments where engaging in ironic misogyny goes over like a lead fart & earnest looks at tabboo subjects can't pass without clumsy conflations and unneccesary assumptions. Inexperience can excuse some earlier writings (the book arcs 16 years), but persisting flaws mar otherwise fine writing.

quote
AMVP
post image

Am probably leaning towards a "so-so" for this collection, mainly due to the roughness of the essays from the first 5-6 years of Bissel's career.

blurb
AMVP
post image

Extra Lives was my introduction to Bissell and remains one of my favorite essay collections. When I saw he had another essay collection in a similar vein, you know I had to snap it up.

11 likes1 stack add