We are in that sweet spot of December in which you’re (hopefully) full of the holiday spirit but without the stress of having to spend every waking moment with your family. It’s the perfect few weeks in which to indulge Read more >
If you sift through any writing on documentary poetics, you will absolutely find a mention (or more) of Muriel Rukeyser and her work in The Book of the Dead. Rukeyser wrote the book in response to the 1931 Hawk Nest Read more >
Because nothing is sacred in this dying world and on Beyoncé’s internet, the brilliant (?) minds behind such iconic shows as the OG Gossip Girl (the only one I acknowledge because sorry, the HBO Max reboot/retool/continuation isn’t living up to Read more >
Today in small acts of decency: an Ohio library revealed that they recently received a letter of confession “from a former Middlefield resident” who’d apparently been living with the weight of past teenage book thefts on their conscience, having walked Read more >
Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit to block Penguin Random House’s acquisition of Simon & Schuster, claiming the proposed merger would “likely result in substantial harm to authors of anticipated top-selling books and ultimately, consumers.” Read more >
Look, we know we said we were out of the Cuomo book news game, but here, at last, we have the perfect capper to the long, slow death rattle of Cuomosexuality: New York’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics has ordered Read more >
Last night, Colm Tóibín was awarded the 2021 David Cohen Prize for Literature at a ceremony at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London. The £40,000 award celebrates the full body of work of a writer who lives in Read more >
Among writers, quality is usually conflated with effort, which is usually conflated with time. The work of writers who write quickly is often devalued: how hard could they really have worked? But you don’t have to toil over a piece Read more >
Sure, we’re getting to that time of year when the early sunsets feel like an uninvited guest that will never leave, but you know what else is happening? Books. Books are still bursting into the world, every week! Calm your Read more >
Anne Rice died this weekend at the age of 80, leaving behind more than 30 novels and millions of exuberant fans—many of whom are aspiring writers themselves. Which is probably why, over the years, Rice has been called upon many Read more >
Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage ends as Henry Fleming, Private in the 304 New York Infantry Regiment in the American Civil War, exits his final battle: “He had rid himself of the red sickness of battle. The sultry Read more >
Anne Rice, the prolific and beloved author of gothic novels, most famous for her 1976 debut Interview with the Vampire and its sequels, died on Sunday in Rancho Mirage, California, from complications from a stroke. She was 80. Rice’s son, the Read more >
Oh, the weather outside is frightful! But the reading is so delightful… Weather (sorry) or not you love the snow—blanketing your driveway, stalling your subway lines—it’s hard to deny that there have been some pretty darn good descriptions of it Read more >
Here’s something sick, deviant, and against nature: Dr. Seuss Enterprises has partnered with vacation rental management company Vacasa to create a real-life version of the Grinch’s cave—home of the Grinch, the titular role in the book about the Grinch. I’m Read more >
Today is Clarice Lispector’s birthday—an international celebration recognized as Hora de Clarice—and in celebration, we’re looking back on her body of work. Today, New Directions, Lispector’s longtime English-language publisher, revealed the cover for July 2022’s The Woman Who Killed The Read more >
In addition to being a prolific novelist, Toni Morrison was a prolific editor. She was committed to championing Black writers, both through her role as senior editor at Random House and her work with writing collectives like The Sisterhood (which Read more >
Apparently, J.K. Rowling’s bruised reputation has not lowered the value of her books. Yesterday, a rare first edition of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone sold at auction for $471,000, which Heritage Auctions says is “the highest price ever paid Read more >
Today is Emily Dickinson’s birthday (her 191st, if anyone’s counting), which is as good a day as any to revisit her poetry. If you’ve got your hands full, you can even have it read to you—via this all-day marathon reading Read more >
Today, December 10th, is Hora de Clarice; an international celebration of the greatest Brazilian writer of the twentieth century, Claire Lispector. In July 2022, New Directions will publish a new collection, The Woman Who Killed the Fish, four “beguiling tales Read more >
As of yesterday, FSG has acquired Judith Butler’s new book, Who’s Afraid of Gender? This book will be Butler’s first non-academic press book, meaning they will be writing accessibly for a wider audience. According to the deal report, Who’s Afraid Read more >
