Jonathan Franzen's new novel Freedom comes out next week and it's garnered a startling amount of press for a novel, and now a feud! So excited.

The problem is mostly centered around his appearance on the cover of Time. It's the first time a living author has appeared on the magazine's cover in a decade.

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There's also the matter of a lot of articles in the New York Times, including this salivating review.

Okay okay, so apparently the book is great. But Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Weiner, author's of "women's fiction" novels In Her Shoes and My Sister's Keeper (respectively), are kind of pissed cause they write bestsellers all the time and it's marginalized while Franzen is held up as a master of American literature.

At first I was all like, "Who do they think they are, Margaret Atwood?" but in the interview they come off as more thoughtful than I expected. They admit Jonathan Franzen is great and hasn't put out a major novel for ten years. They make it clear that they think Franzen is an exception, but argue they should at least get as much attention as Nick Hornby.

Fair enough. If you'd care to discuss it with him, Franzen will be reading at Powell's downtown on Wednesday, September 15th, at 7:30, in what will probably be a very busy event.

AND IN LOCAL BOOK EVENTS:

Tonight at The Canvas art bar, Courtenay Hameister, Justin Hocking, and Dave Jarecki will be reading. Festivities begin at 7 p.m. The Canvas is located at 1800 NW Upshur Road.