 Twenty years ago, America's new war in Afghanistan created a fresh set of bestsellers. (Yale University Press; Modern Library; Simon & Schuster; Ballantine; Knopf) | Everybody's an expert now, but when the United States started firing missiles at Afghanistan in 2001, most Americans knew nothing about the war-torn country. Journalists rushed to explain the volatile situation as best they could. Book publishing, though, was still a deliberate industry. Print-on-demand machines and e-books were exotic. Yet even before President Bush lurched into the Great Game, a few authors happened to have published books that suddenly felt perfectly timed. In 2000, Karen Armstrong had released "Islam," a short, accessible work that our reviewer praised for its "insight and sensitive historical analysis of a misunderstood and much-maligned faith" (review). And just months before Sept. 11, Yale University Press had published a book by Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid called "Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia." In an alternate reality, Rashid's book might have remained an obscure reference work, but with the conflict exploding in Afghanistan, "Taliban" was a runaway hit. In fact, by late October 2001, a few weeks after the Afghan conflict began, the nonfiction bestseller list demonstrated how much Americans wanted to understand the broader context of the war. These books — published back in the 1990s — were suddenly flying off shelves: - "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order," by Samuel P. Huntington (review)
- "Jihad vs. McWorld," by Benjamin R. Barber (profile)
- "Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America," by Yossef Bodansky
- "Understanding Islam," by Thomas W. Lippman (review)
My own impression of our Afghan invasion was colored by a work of fiction called "The Mulberry Empire," which Philip Hensher published a few months after the fighting began (review). This wry historical novel — longlisted for the Booker Prize — reimagines the First Anglo-Afghan War in the early 19th century when the British confidently rode into the mountainous land. Hensher confesses in an afterword, "Anachronisms and plain falsifications have on the whole been indulged in when it pleased me," but I found his portrayal of the disastrous military campaign terrifyingly relevant. Late in "The Mulberry Empire," after the Afghan warriors have massacred thousands of British soldiers and sent the rest fleeing, there's a passage that seems especially haunting this week: "The empire was cleansed, and washed clean with blood, and the princes of the empire rode over the fallen warriors, and their wicked bones crunched like dry bread under the glory and might of the Afghans."  Bob Dylan performs in Los Angeles in 2012. (AP file photo by Chris Pizzello) | Bob Dylan, who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2016, has been accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl more than half a century ago. In a complaint filed in New York, a 68-year-old woman identified as J.C. claims that over a six-week period in 1965, the singer-songwriter "befriended and established an emotional connection" with her by plying her with "alcohol and drugs." J.C. claims that the sexual abuse she endured has left her suffering from "emotional and physical injury, including, but not limited to, serious and severe mental distress, anguish, humiliation and embarrassment, as well as economic losses." She is suing for an unspecified sum in New York's Supreme Court because, her complaint states, "the amount of damages sought exceeds the jurisdictional limits of all lower courts that would otherwise have jurisdiction over this matter." Legal documents often make for strange reading, but this one seems to blend a horrific accusation with a Grammy Award introduction. Among all the usual esoteric phrases, required redundancies and descriptions of predatory behavior and lasting trauma, there's a long paragraph in the complaint that celebrates Dylan's accomplishments: "Regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, he has been a major figure in popular culture during a career spanning nearly 60 years, with his songs serving as anthems for the civil rights and anti-war movements." The complaint goes on to list his prizes and honors, including a special citation from the Pulitzer Foundation in 2008 recognizing his "extraordinary poetic power." Anne Margaret Daniel, a Dylan scholar who teaches at the New School in New York, has posted evidence that the musician was touring in England when the abuse of J.C. was supposed to have taken place. Through a spokesperson, Dylan has denied all the allegations.  Actor and literacy advocate LeVar Burton. (Photo by Robyn Von Swank/Courtesy of the Library of Congress) | Question: This former "Star Trek" actor inspired a generation of kids to love books. Answer: "Who is LeVar Burton?" Correct! But alas, despite fans' hopes and a popular online petition, the former host of "Reading Rainbow" was not chosen to be one of the new hosts of "Jeopardy!" (story). Cheer up: The Library of Congress has announced some happy news. Next month, Burton will host a PBS special about the National Book Festival called "Open a Book, Open the World." From a public library in Los Angeles, the popular actor and tireless literary advocate will introduce viewers to 20 festival authors, including Tana French, Michael J. Fox, Annette Gordon-Reed, Kazuo Ishiguro, Isabel Wilkerson and Viet Thanh Nguyen. "Open a Book, Open the World" will debut on Sept. 12 (check local listings). "After the last year, we're all ready to plot a new course," Burton said in a statement, "and books can be an amazing compass." Aside from a few in-person events at the Library, most of this year's National Book Festival will be presented online Sept. 17-26 (more information). That's sad for D.C., but fun for folks around the world. If you're in a book club, talk to your fellow members about organizing a watch party. (I'll wave to you when I'm interviewing Kristin Hannah, Maggie Shipstead and others.)  Stephen King's first collection, "Night Shift" (1978), contains such classic stories as "The Lawnmower Man," "Children of the Corn" and "Jerusalem's Lot," which has been adapted for a 10-episode series starting Sunday on Epix. | Adaptations of Stephen King's work seem to be appearing with frantic — one might say terrifying — haste. "Lisey's Story," starring Julianne Moore, just ended last month on Apple TV (I loved the novel). And now, even before that show has time to cool, a new King series called "Chapelwaite," starring Adrien Brody, is rising out of the ground. Premiering Sunday on Epix, "Chapelwaite" is based on the short story "Jerusalem's Lot," which King published more than 40 years ago in his first collection, "Night Shift." Not to be confused with "'Salem's Lot" — King's second and, to my mind, scariest novel — "Jerusalem's Lot" is about a (mad?) gentleman who inherits a sinister old house. He worries it might have rats. He should be so lucky. The original story feels slightly haunted by "The Turn of the Screw," but Henry James's ghost feels even closer in the TV series adapted by brothers Peter and Jason Filardi. They've added three children along with a governess played by Emily Hampshire from "Schitt's Creek" — which, come to think of it, is also about someone who moves to a horrifying old place, though with fewer corpses and more laughs. In the original introduction to "Night Shift," King says that he's often asked why he chooses to write about such gruesome subjects. "Why," he replies, "do you assume that I have a choice?" Review ● By Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Lavie Tidhar ● Read more » | | |  Bookstore Romance Day, starting Aug. 21, offers a full weekend of streaming presentations from best-selling writers. (Courtesy of Bookstore Romance Day) | No ripped bodices, please. In 2003, Pamela Regis published an illuminating work of scholarship titled "A Natural History of the Romance Novel." "More than any other literary genre," she writes, "the romance novel has been misunderstood by mainstream literary culture." Contrary to the well-worn complaints — schlock, formulaic, etc. — Regis says, "The genre is not silly and empty-headed," nor should the books' immense popularity be held against them. Indeed, "the genre is popular because it conveys the pain, uplift, and joy that freedom brings." Over the years, I've come around to Regis's view. The criticisms of romance fiction are often cringingly chauvinistic and far more cliche and redundant than anything in the novels. What's more, the romance genre remains unusually adaptable to other genres, and it's responsive to evolving attitudes about race and sexuality. And the romance writers I've met are brilliant, witty people. But enough foreplay: Tomorrow is Bookstore Romance Day! Indie bookstores across America are planning to celebrate romance fiction and romance readers (find a store near you). No matter where you live, on Saturday and Sunday you can watch a variety of online presentations by some of your favorite authors, including E L James, Xio Axelrod and Sarah MacLean, who used to write Book World's romance column. (These events are free, but you must register). This literary holiday — now in its third year — was founded by Billie Bloebaum, who works at Third Street Books in McMinnville, Ore. Bloebaum tells me that during all the anxiety of the covid pandemic many readers have turned to the Romance genre for those guaranteed happily-ever-after endings. "With the world being so uncertain," she says, "knowing that there are books where the promise of the premise is that everything will work out — no matter the obstacles — is comforting." But that desire for escape is complicated in these surreal times. Bloebaum says, "I've talked to many a reader who finds it challenging to engage with books set in the 'real world,' especially since many of the books published during the pandemic were written in and about a world that no longer really exists." That's a heart-stopping fact.  Since the NEH Public Scholars program began, the grants have helped fund the creation of nonfiction books like these. (Basic Books, Oxford University Press, W.W. Norton) | Your tax dollars at work: If Uncle Sam has his way, in a few years we'll be reading a biography of the neuroscientist Oliver Sacks, a narrative history of the 1968 Miss America pageant and an account of the enslaved people sold by Jesuits to fund Georgetown University. These are a few of the 25 nonfiction book projects that received hefty Public Scholars grants this week from the National Endowment for the Humanities. I've been a fan of the Public Scholars program since it was announced in 2014. William Adams, then chair of the NEH, wanted to poke some holes in the ivory tower to let the research flow out. His plan was to use the agency's prestige and cash to encourage scholars to write nonfiction for lay Americans. Over the years, Public Scholars grants have supported such acclaimed books as Jason Sokol's "The Heavens Might Crack: The Death and Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr." (review) and Craig Harline's "A World Ablaze: The Rise of Martin Luther and the Birth of the Reformation" (review). This year's Public Scholars grant winners include: - Henry Fetter for a history of the 1916 Senate confirmation battle over the appointment of Louis D. Brandeis to the Supreme Court.
- David Lubin for a book about Billy Wilder's 1950 film "Sunset Boulevard."
- Cassandra Good for a history of the heirs of George and Martha Washington between the American Revolution and the Civil War.
- Rebecca Davis for a narrative history of sexual attitudes in the U.S. from the colonial era to the present day.
The maximum grant is $60,000. Most of the winners hold academic positions at colleges and universities, but independent writers are also invited to apply. Applications for next year's grants are due by Dec. 15 (more information).  The National Book Critics Circle auction, which starts today, offers dozens of literary services, experiences and books. (Courtesy of NBCC) | How do you plot a novel? Where do you find an agent? You can ask National Book Award winner Charles Yu anything about fiction writing, screenwriting or publishing if you cast the winning bid. Yu is one of several dozen authors, critics and publicists who are donating their time, expertise and art to the National Book Critics Circle fundraising auction, which begins today and runs through Aug. 27 (more information). The NBCC, a nonprofit group of American book reviewers and editors, is raising money to support its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. (I've been an NBCC member for years.) Among the items up for auction are Zoom sessions with novelists Darin Strauss and Aleksandar Hemon, along with experienced editors, critics and publicists. Some are offering manuscript consultations. You'll even find a fancy vacation and a private concert. For the ultimate book club meeting with four of your friends, buy an evening with novelist Meg Waite Clayton at her home in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif. This elegant item includes a casual French meal and copies of Clayton's forthcoming novel, "The Postmistress of Paris." Some items are starting with low bids, like an autographed copy of Carl Phillips's recent collection "Pale Colors in a Tall Field" for $15. At the other end of the scale, there's the chance to tell critic Anita Felicelli how much you hate her book reviews. She promises to listen politely for 30 minutes, but for that privilege some aggrieved author will have to bid at least $7,500. And to think I've been politely enduring complaints for free!  (Courtesy of Medium) | The pandemic has put many of us in a contemplative frame of mind — even overwhelmed parents who have time only to fantasize about a moment alone. Medium wants to hear your thoughts. The online publishing platform is sponsoring an essay contest with a grand prize of $50,000. To enter the Medium Writers Challenge, compose an essay of 500 words or more responding to one of these infinitely flexible subjects: "Reentry," "Death," "Work" and "Space." In addition to that gargantuan grand prize, there will be a $10,000 winner in each category and one hundred $100 honorable mentions. To judge the essays, Medium has assembled an impressive panel of writers including Susan Orlean, Roxane Gay, Saeed Jones, Kurt Andersen and — why not? — Natalie Portman. The deadline to enter the Medium Writers Challenge is Aug. 24 (more information). Remember, "essay" is a French word meaning "to attempt." What have you got to lose?  W.W. Norton | This month, former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove published "Playlist for the Apocalypse," her first collection in more than 10 years. It's an impressive demonstration of her range, formally and thematically. Some of these poems, particularly the ones that address her health problems, are intensely personal. Others, like those in a cycle titled "A Standing Witness," move through history with a combination of insight and grief. Aubade West Ferguson, Missouri Everywhere absence mocks me:
Jimmy, jettisoned like rotten fruit.
Franklin blown away.
Heat aplenty of all kinds,
especially when August blows its horn—
cops and summer and no ventilation
make piss-poor running buddies.
A day just like all the others,
me out here on the streets
skittery as a bug crossing a skillet,
no lungs big enough to strain
this scalded broth into brain and tissues,
plump my arteries, my soul . . . Voice in my ear hissing Go ahead, leave.
Look around. No gates, no barbed wire.
As if I could walk on water.
As if water ever told one good truth,
lisping her lullabies as she rocks
another cracked cradle of Somalis
until it splits and she can pour
her final solution right through.
Me watching from the other side of the world,
high and dry on this street
running straight as a line of smack,
sun shouting down its glory: No one's stopping you.
What are you waiting for? Reprinted from "Playlist for the Apocalypse: Poems." Copyright © 2021 by Rita Dove. Used with permission of the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.  Soggy book mail left outside my door. (Photo by Ann O'Donoghue) | In college, the woman who would become my wife accidentally dropped her copy of "The Norton Anthology of English Literature" into a dormitory toilet. I should have taken it as a sign of her future frugality that she continued using that bloated copy throughout the semester. I came home this week to discover a similar, though less scatological challenge: While we were visiting my folks in New Hampshire, dozens of books arrived in the mail. My long-suffering friends and neighbors carried most to safety, but, alas, a few got soaked in the rain. If any of you have successfully confronted this damp problem, I'd be grateful for your advice. Meanwhile, send any questions or comments about our book coverage to ron.charles@washpost.com. And if you have friends who might enjoy this newsletter, please forward it to them – and remind them it's free! To subscribe, click here.
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