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News, Notes, Talk

If you have an extra £475,000, you can buy this full set of first edition James Bond novels.

Got £475,000 to spare? Here’s a fun place to put your money, if you’re Gamestop-averse: a full set of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels is currently up for sale by rare-book dealer John Atkinson at John Atkinson Fine & Rare Read more >

By Walker Caplan

Here are the United States Artists’ 2021 Writing Fellows.

Here’s some wonderful literary news to start your morning (drumroll, please): today, United States Artists (USA) announced its 2021 USA Fellows, which includes eight writers. The award honors the creative accomplishments of its selected fellows by supporting their ongoing artistic Read more >

By Rasheeda Saka

Here's the very cool cover for Colson Whitehead's next novel, Harlem Shuffle.

This week, TIME Magazine revealed the cover for Colson Whitehead’s next novel, Harlem Shuffle, which was—like his previous two novels, The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys—designed by Lit Hub favorite Oliver Munday. The novel takes inspiration from classic caper narratives, and so does Read more >

By Emily Temple

Lena Dunham is writing and directing a film adaptation of Catherine, Called Birdy.

Lena Dunham is busy! She’s costarring with Mandy Patinkin, writing moving personal essays for Harper’s, and declaring her sexuality is “the fact that Viggo Mortensen owns a poetry publishing press”—and this spring, she starts shooting in the U.K. for her Read more >

By Walker Caplan

Tired of buying airport books? These airports are installing Little Free Libraries.

A great idea! Marshall University students in Bret Masters’s building technology class are currently building bookshelves to install Little Free Libraries in Yeager and Huntington Tri-State Airports. The idea for the project was originated by Kelli Johnson, associate librarian at Read more >

By Walker Caplan

Zachary Levi will star in an adaptation of Harold and the Purple Crayon. We have questions.

Many of us have fond memories of Harold and the Purple Crayon—Crockett Johnson’s beloved children’s book about a four-year-old boy exploring the contours of his imagination through drawing. Yesterday afternoon, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Zachary Levi will be starring Read more >

By Walker Caplan

Listen to the first ever recording of James Joyce reading from Ulysses.

On February 2, 1922, Sylvia Beach, through her legendary bookstore and occasional imprint Shakespeare and Company, published the entirety of James Joyce’s modernist novel, Ulysses. (It was also Joyce’s 40th birthday.) Two years later, she sought to have at least Read more >

By Emily Temple

Is Twitter about to become the new Substack?

In what is clearly a play for that sweet, sweet newsletter market, Twitter announced last week it has bought Revue “a service that makes it free and easy for anyone to start and publish editorial newsletters,” and will be rolling Read more >

By Jonny Diamond

20 new books to warm your cold, unfeeling heart.

Here in Brooklyn, there’s a blizzard. No better cure for the winter blues than a brand new book to snuggle up with. Luckily, you can get these beauties from your local indie. * Dantiel W. Moniz, Milk Blood Heat (Grove Press) Read more >

By Katie Yee

Watch this video of Gore Vidal roasting Kurt Vonnegut (and um, hitting on his wife).

Some light snowstorm viewing for you: Gore Vidal and Kurt Vonnegut and Jill Krementz having a wonderful time. In under two minutes, Vidal—known for his mean witticisms—hits on Jill Krementz; says he was the first choice for Vonnegut’s cameo in Read more >

By Walker Caplan

A robot has some thoughts about the “67 best books to give a woman.”

Why gift a woman a book? Books are always a good gift. Furthermore, all of us have women around us who are passionate about reading, and since some books have been underpublicized due to their feminine nature, they should be Read more >

By Walker Caplan

A 68-year-old man has been banned from his local library for sharing an anti-Trump poem.

In news that makes you say “Why?”: last week, the ACLU of Indiana filed a lawsuit against the Jackson County Public Library, on behalf of a man who was banned for life from the library over an original Trump-critical poem Read more >

By Walker Caplan

Yorgos Lanthimos is reportedly directing an adaptation of Poor Things starring Emma Stone.

Some excellent adaptation news for your Monday! Yorgos Lanthimos, beloved weirdo and my favorite director of straight-faced dance scenes, is reportedly adapting Alasdair Gray’s Poor Things. The novel, published in 1992, won the Whitbread Award (now the Costa Award), and Read more >

By Jessie Gaynor

Writers, beware the fake agent scam!

Every six months or so we get news* of agents charging writers to read their submissions or asking for up-front fees ahead of representation… WRITERS! Do not do this. Reputable agents will not ask you for money: they will sell Read more >

By Jonny Diamond

This Turkish library is shaped like a shelf of giant books.

Here’s something wonderful: Karabuk University’s library, in Karabuk, Turkey, is designed to look like a row of large books on a shelf. It’s so cheerful—and there is a pleasure and clarity in something stating what it is. Others have noticed Read more >

By Walker Caplan

All three of Amanda Gorman’s forthcoming books will each get an enormous first printing.

It’s been a whirlwind month for Amanda Gorman: in the nine days since the 22-year-old poet delivered her original poem “The Hill We Climb” at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, she’s been announced to perform at the Super Bowl; signed to Read more >

By Walker Caplan