TODAY: In 1938, beloved author Judy Blume is born.
In light of this weekend’s made-up holiday, we attempted a list of 25 happy couples in literature… which may or may not have devolved into cannibalism. | Lit Hub Reading Lists
Twelve hours, twelve countries: tune in to today’s Literature Live Around the World fest. | Lit Hub
“Meanwhile, the cholera.” Diana Rose Newby on why Middlemarch is a contagion narrative, even though you won’t find it on any pandemic-lit lists. | Lit Hub Criticism
“It’s hard to be a writer without possessing curiosity. It’s also hard to be an Airbnb host without being curious about your guests.” How cleaning toilets helped Kate Russo write her novel. | Lit Hub
When Google becomes your memory: Maël Renouard reflects on the blending of our pasts with technology. | Lit Hub
“I miss Kathy. I miss her in a particular way that I do not miss most of my dead friends.” Neil Gaiman remembers the inimitable Kathy Acker. | Lit Hub
Maya Corrigan on the poisonous sentiments of a cruel 19th-century phenomenon: the vinegar valentine. | CrimeReads
“SAVE THE ENDANGERED SPECIES: PHARMACOGNOSY.” How herbal medicine became big business in the US—after almost dying out. | Lit Hub Health
Meet the indie bookstore owner behind National Black Literacy Day. | Book Marks
“His virality speaks to a different kind of validation, one that is less about monetary reward than cultural capital.” Lyz Lenz on poet, writer, and Twitter thread enthusiast Seth Abramson. | Columbia Journalism Review
“Shared history is good, but if you don’t share it with everybody, there’s not much value in that.” Beverly Jenkins on untold histories, her research process, and the future of the romance genre. | NPR Code Switch
Christina M. Tapper contemplates the joy of listening to Nikki Giovanni’s “Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day.” | ZORA
What if the best way to understand the story of American police brutality is from the inside? | Lit Hub Politics
If you’re wondering why every new Netflix show (except Emily in Paris) is an adaptation, this rundown of the “Hollywood book boom” has the answers. | Los Angeles Times
Heather Cleary’s Valentine’s Day love letter to her favorite animals in translated fiction. | Book Marks
Award-winning science fiction author James Gunn has died at 97. | Hollywood Reporter
“They’re just something you have to deal with now.” How publishers use morals clauses to cancel book contracts—including after an author’s reputation suffers a hit. | The New York Times
An interactive visualization shows which books from the New York Times bestseller list are most in-demand in the digital library system. | The Verge
