On October 5, this timeline will be blessed/cursed by Jonathan Franzen’s first novel since 2015: Crossroads, or, if you’re not abbreviating, Crossroads: A Novel: A Key to All Mythologies, Volume 1. It’s the first novel of a trilogy, A Key Read more >
The Story Spotlight Prize, established in 2014, honors books of exceptional promise by first-time authors; collections in alternative formats; or works that demonstrate an unusual perspective on the writer’s craft. The Award comes with a cash prize of $1,000, and Read more >
Today, PEN America announced the finalists for its 2021 Literary Awards, which recognizes and honors “dynamic, imaginative, and thought-provoking” books published in the last year. Previous winners include Nafissa Thompson-Spires, Imani Perry, and Yiyun Li. The 55 finalists were selected Read more >
It appears that Twitter has returned, once again, to the email sign-off discourse—one of the more boring discourses! Personally, I think “best” is a completely fine, if unimaginative, way to end an email. However, for those of you looking to Read more >
Yes, it’s true: Netflix has picked up the rights to the entire Redwall universe: the beloved series of books by Brian Jacques (which I am sorry to tell you is pronounced “Jakes” and not the cool French way that naturally Read more >
QUESTION ONE Please examine the following examples and describe which one is “cancel culture,” and which one is the “marketplace of ideas.” Explain your answer. A) Private citizens organize via the power of their wallets—i.e. a boycott—in protest of a Read more >
Beloved Mexican-American actor and restauranteur Danny Trejo’s first memoir, Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood—which details Trejo’s path from drug addiction and incarceration in some of America’s most notorious prisons (including San Quentin, Folsom, and Soledad), to unexpected Hollywood Read more >
There is a new app. It distills books, both classics and modern bestsellers, into brief, accessible summaries. You can listen to audio versions of summaries, or read them on your phone. The app is called Instaread—or it’s called Blinkist, or Read more >
Haruki Murakami has been a beloved literary figure for decades, for good reason. He DJs radio shows; he uses charming metaphors for writing; he donates his personal archive to the public; he supports young novelists; he gives good advice, for Read more >
Stephen King: Master of Horror, Ringleader of Nightmares and . . . youth literary advocate? It may not be the least bit spooky, but it’s true. The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, the non-profit founded by King and his wife Read more >
As we all know, the worst thing to happen to mainstream American cinema in the 21st century was the near-total abandonment of that most compelling and enigmatic of subgenres: the erotic thriller. While there have been a few notable additions Read more >
Wanton sex! Lurid seductions! A gentleman bricklayer? A rare extant document of 18th-century English queerness, The Life of Thomas Munn, alias, the Gentleman Brick-maker, alias, Tom The Smuggler, was recently discovered by a UK bookseller. Originally published in 1750, the Read more >
Last month, we learned of the existence of a book of very strong literary takes by Virginia Woolf, Rebecca West, Hillaire Belloc, and 36 other 20th-century writers. Really and Truly: A Book of Literary Confessions featured handwritten answers to a Read more >
Late last year, the PERIPLUS collective announced it was taking applications for a new fellowship whose goal was to connect writers who are Black, Indigenous and people of color with mentors—the impressive list of which included Hanif Abdurraqib, Jenna Wortham, Read more >
Is there anything better than (safe, socially distanced, double masked, sanitized) browsing at your local indie? I was having the crumbiest day the other day, and I passed by my local bookstore (the Greenlight on Flatbush, if you know it) Read more >
The latest TikTok trend is surprisingly old-school: it’s a book. Last week, Sherry Argov’s 2002 relationship guide Why Men Love Bitches: From Doormat to Dreamgirl—A Woman’s Guide to Holding Her Own in a Relationship made the Sunday Times bestseller list for Read more >
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