Listen to Claudia Rankine read her essay “Open to Arrival“ about the Paul Graham photograph, “Woman with Arms Outstretched (Memphis),” 2000. “Does a photograph reflect the moment before the moment realized in the title? I am beginning to wonder if Read more >
This afternoon, President Barack Obama will deliver his first on-camera address about the death of George Floyd and the ongoing protests in America and around the world in a town hall meeting hosted by My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) and entitled Read more >
If the widespread protests of unchecked, racist police violence have spurred you to read more about the deep-rooted and systemic problems with policing in this country, here’s an excellent place to start: Haymarket Books, University of Chicago Press, Verso Books, Read more >
Good news on this Wednesday morning: the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Nikil Saval—author of Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace, and former editor of highbrow literary and political magazine n+1, where he still serves on the Board of Directors—has Read more >
Across the country, black-owned bookstores have served as community gathering spaces, support for emerging authors, and educational resources. Those listed below are open and ready for online orders, with the exception of several stores that are only taking orders over Read more >
The Desmond Elliott Prize is awarded annually to a writer whose first novel is written in English and published in the UK. Since 2007, it has supported and heralded new writers; the honor comes with a £10,000 prize. It’s heartening Read more >
Still looking for ways to support Minneapolis and the black community there? One of Lit Hub’s favorite poets, Danez Smith, is organizing donations via their Venmo: Plans to get toys, books, black skin and hair products, and so many other Read more >
It’s official: on June 9th, the best TV show of the modern era is leaving the most reliable streaming service of the modern era. This is a harsh blow to the quarantined masses, whose reliance on the show during the Read more >
We are living in dark and heartbreaking times. There is a lot of amazing, vital writing here at Lit Hub—about the pandemic, about the protests—that I highly recommend you read right now. And then if you want to pick up Read more >
On June 1st, a group of book publishers—Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, John Wiley & Sons, and Penguin Random House, all member companies of the Association of American Publishers—filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the Internet Archive, whose “National Emergency Read more >
For over 30 years, Lambda Literary has been celebrating LGBTQ literature. This vital organization has been an advocate and support system for LGBTQ writers, their communities, and their stories. In lieu of an in-person ceremony, Lambda Literary will be hosting Read more >
Whitmaniacs and cruciverbalists, assemble! If both those words made sense to you, then you are definitely the specific kind of nerd for this blog post. Adrienne Raphel, poet and author of Thinking Inside the Box, created a Whitman-themed crossword puzzle Read more >
Did you know that Eudora Welty was probably a better gardener than you? It’s true. In addition to being a fantastic photographer and storyteller, Welty was known for her green thumb. The revamped website of the Eudora Welty House and Garden opens Read more >
First of all, I didn’t even know there was going to be a big studio Dungeons & Dragons movie; second of all, the reason this is bookish news is because of the crazy and endless spinoff novels based in the Read more >
It’s the kind of timing a publisher dreams of. Less than one week out from its U.S. launch, latest Irish literary phenom Naoise Dolan’s debut novel Exciting Times (Ecco, June 2) has been optioned for TV. Yes, following a hugely successful Read more >
Views are up 200 percent for the Book Marks’ book page of Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be an Antiracist. As America repeats its cycles of racist state violence in Minneapolis this is indeed a book we should all read Read more >
The latest live event to shift its plans in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic: the National Book Festival. Organizers announced Thursday that the festival, which was originally set to take place Aug. 29 at the Washington Convention Center will Read more >
Here’s something I think about all the time: in 2013, Maya Rudolph played Maya Angelou in a skit on Saturday Night Live. It might be my favorite skit ever? First, there’s the fact that SNL even aired a skit that Read more >
Most of what I learned in elementary school history classes was the history of the state of Illinois. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and I guess the reasoning behind the curriculum was that it would be more Read more >
The announcement of a forthcoming Amazon series focusing on Lisbeth Salander, the protagonist of Steig Larsson’s Millennium series, challenges our assumptions about what a literary adaptation actually is. We know that the Amazon show is currently titled The Girl With the Read more >
