Here is a list of fiction writers who are among my personal favorites (with a representative book listed alongside). These are not the usual suspects, but some of the lesser-known writers I like.
Richard Yates, "Revolutionary Road";
John Fante, "Ask the Dust";
Nelson Algren, "The Man with the Golden Arm";
Frederick Exley, "A Fan's Notes";
Charles Portis, "The Dog of the South";
John Williams, "Stoner";
Patrick Hamilton, "Hangover Square";
Richard Russo, "Empire Falls";
Richard Ford, "The Sportswriter";
Don DeLillo, "White Noise";
Jim Harrison, "True North";
Raymond Carver, "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?";
Willy Vlautin, "The Motel Life";
Michael Chabon, "The Wonder Boys";
Ian McEwan, "Atonement";
Colson Whitehead, "John Henry Days";
Orhan Pamuk, "Snow";
Junot Diaz, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao";
Avram Davidson, "Vergil in Averno"
Recent reading: recommended fiction
The Secret of Lost Things (2006), Sheridan Hay; Absurdistan (2006), Gary Shteyngart; Five Skies (2007), Ron Carlson; Citizen Vince (2005), Jess Walter; On Chesil Beach (2007), Ian McEwan; We're in Trouble (2005), Christopher Coake; Returning to Earth (2007), Jim Harrison; The Lay of the Land (2006), Richard Ford
This is not news to anybody, but it's worth repeating, I think. I just finished Ferris' 2007 novel, "Then We Came to the End," and it is extremely good. Who ever suggested recently that the novel as an art form is dying or off track
I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, Brett Favre is my favorite football player of all time. I can confidently estimate that I watched 97 percent of his games over 17 seasons. He was always riveting, whether he was playing great or screwing up. So
