New literary imprint at UNCW draws nationwide attention
“Binocular Vision: New and Selected Stories” by Edith Pearlman was officially released Jan. 11 by Lookout Books, an initiative of UNCW’s creative writing department through its Publications Laboratory and its literary magazine, Ecotone.
The story collection received a front page review in the Jan. 16 issue of The New York Times Book Review.
“Binocular Vision” has also received positive reviews in the Los Angeles Times and Boston Globe, and it scored a “starred” review – indicating a title of special interest – in the Nov. 15 issue of Publishers Weekly.
Pearlman, a three-time winner of the O. Henry Award for exceptional short stories, is known as a “writer’s writer,” according to Publishing Lab director Emily Louise Smith. although revered by other writers – the novelist Ann Patchett wrote an introduction for “Binocular Vision” – Pearlman is little known to the general reading public since most of her work appears in “little” literary magazines.
In fact, The New York Times reviewer, Roxana Robinson, began her piece on “Binocular Vision” by asking, “Why in the world had I never heard of Edith Pearlman?”
“it certainly isn’t the fault of her writing,” Robinson added, “which is intelligent, perceptive, funny and quite beautiful.”
Pearlman, who lives in Brookline, Mass., is expected to visit the UNCW campus in March, Smith said.
In its mission statement, Lookout Books said it will publish “emerging and historically underrepresented voices, as well as works by established writers overlooked by commercial houses.”
In the fall, the imprint plans to publish “God Bless America” by the novelist and essayist Steve Almond, who will be a visiting writer at UNCW later this year.
Ben Steelman: 343-2208
