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Free virtual writing workshops and literary events to check out this January.

If your New Year’s resolution was something along the lines of: attend more events or be a better literary citizen, I have good news for you! Here are a handful of virtual events you can enjoy from the comfort of Read more >

By Katie Yee

These are the bestselling books of 2022.

Another trip around the sun, another year of bookselling. You’ve heard about the best books of 2022, but what about the bestsellers? Well, you’ve probably heard about a few of them too. Here’s the list of the 25 bestselling books Read more >

By Emily Temple

Mike Pompeo lands a coveted Mike Pompeo blurb for his forthcoming book.

As someone in the throes of the humiliating exercise that is asking writers you admire to read your book and write nice things about it, I almost empathize with Mike Pompeo. In case you forgot (guilty!), Pompeo served as both the director Read more >

By Jessie Gaynor

Here are this year's finalists for The Story Prize.

This morning, The Story Prize—which seeks to recognize the best short story collection published every year—announced its three 2023 finalists. “We continue to be astounded by the range and variety of short story collections we read each year. These three Read more >

By Emily Temple

20 new books to read right now.

Many years ago, I overheard a woman on the subway say that she tries to read 100 books every year. Personally, I’m much too slow to do that, but I think of her often and hope she’s well. Maybe she’ll Read more >

By Katie Yee

Somebody made an exact LEGO replica of this classic movie bookstore.

Remember Ray’s Occult Books, the rundown Manhattan bookstore opened by an unmoored Ray Stantz between Ghostbusters I and II following the city of New York serving him and his fellow ghostbusters with a judicial restraining order for the property damage incurred during their Read more >

By Dan Sheehan

Katie Porter reading a book during the GOP's House speaker fight is all of us.

On Friday, as House Republicans squabbled through their fourth day of unsuccessful voting to elect a speaker, Democratic Representative Katie Porter sat in the lower chamber, reading a book. But not just any book: Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Read more >

By Emily Temple

Nope, I do not like these AI audiobook narrators one bit.

Because AI is apparently just like us, it seems to have romanticized the creative fields. So instead of, say, figuring out how to help me dispute denied insurance claims, it’s more interested in writing children’s books, getting into poetry, and Read more >

By Jessie Gaynor

Of course Cate Blanchett reads Rebecca Solnit.

This week, at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, Todd Field’s Tár was awarded Best Picture, and Cate Blanchett took home Best Actress for her performance. During her remarks, as Sam Adams reported on Twitter, she told the crowd, Read more >

By Emily Temple

When Fay Weldon called out publishers for underpaying staff and treating writers like trash.

Wow. Fay Weldon, who died earlier this week at 91, did not mince words. As chair of the 1983 Booker Prize committee (which awarded top honors to JM Coetzee’s sublimely bleak Life and Times of Michael K) Weldon was given Read more >

By Jonny Diamond

Nicolas Cage as Dracula! Yes, the trailer for Renfield has arrived.

Listen up, my children of the night! There is a new Dracula adaptation in our midst, starring Nicolas Cage. It’s called Renfield, and perhaps you have heard of it, since it has been in development for some time. But if Read more >

By Olivia Rutigliano

18 new paperbacks coming out this January.

Behold: the first paperbacks of the year. * Jean Chen Ho, Fiona and Jane (Penguin, January 3) “A wonderful debut … [Fiona and Jane] is a book that is built on memory, a book that speaks to the importance and Read more >

By Katie Yee

Here are the winners of the second annual Silvers-Dudley Prizes for literary and arts journalism.

Today, the Robert B. Silvers Foundation announced the winners of their second annual Silvers-Dudley Prizes, which recognize “outstanding achievement in literary criticism, arts writing, and journalism.” The prizes, which carry a total value of $135,000, will award between $15,000 and Read more >

By Emily Temple

What to read next based on your New Year's resolutions.

Happy New Year, readers. Recently, I’ve been seeing this trend on Instagram of people proclaiming what is in in 2023, and what is decidedly out. Here are mine. What’s out: Biker shorts. Electric scooters on the sidewalk. Maybe Twitter? Leaving Read more >

By Katie Yee

The story of the husband-murdering author of “How to Murder Your Husband” is coming to Lifetime.

For today’s entry in Stories That Simply Feel Right: The tale of Nancy Crampton Brophy—self-published romance novelist and author of the (in retrospect, ill-advised) essay “How to Murder Your Husband,” who was recently convicted of, yes, murdering her husband—is coming Read more >

By Jessie Gaynor

Elon Musk misunderstands fictional dystopias (and his role in our real dystopia).

Famous meme-lord and loser-of-billions Elon Musk is once again using the $44 billion message board he bought to share his erudition. Last night Musk Tweeted what looks like an old meme whipped up by an edgy 15-year-old who just lost Read more >

By Jonny Diamond