LitHub Daily: July 14, 2016

TODAY: In 1912, the poet laureate of the working class, Woody Guthrie, is born. 

• Building a better definition of science fiction: Ann and Jeff VanderMeer on the history and the future of the genre. | Literary Hub
• Did I write a gay book? An Indian book? A diverse book? Rumaan Alam on figuring out where to sit at the table. | Literary Hub
• Ben Lerner on why so many people (rightfully) hate poetry. | Literary Hub
• After a five-week delay in the Senate, Carla Hayden has been confirmed as the 14th Librarian of Congress, making her the first woman and the first African-American to hold the position. | The Washington Post, WBAL
• Helen DeWitt on her Socrates moments, TPWs (“typical publishing wankers”), and how the self is a set of linguistic patterns. | Vulture
• “I was fascinated by the idea of a story that showed how difficult it is to erase oneself, literally, from the face of the earth.” An excerpt from, and the cover art for, Elena Ferrante’s new book. | The Wall Street Journal
• The NEA Big Read, which “offers grants to support innovative community reading programs designed around a single book,” has relaunched with 13 new titles. | National Endowment for the Arts
• “I came to reading late in my life. I didn’t read much growing up. I thought books were boring… I don’t know, I just thought, ‘Olden times sound stupid and mean.’” An interview with Jade Sharma. | Guernica
• Twin Cities writers of color suggest books we should read now, from The Fire Next Time to Dreams From My Father. | The Star Tribune
• Forty-four of the most anticipated nonfiction books coming out in the second half of 2016. | The Millions
• “Audre Lorde dances across the living room floor on a tube television set. It’s the early 90s and her hands wave freely above her head.” Saretta Morgan visits the Audre Lorde archives in Berlin. | The Guardian

Also on Literary Hub: I squatted James Baldwin’s house in order to save it · If Nabokov wrote thrillers… the tale of Gaito Gazdanov, lost white Russian writer of genius · A new poem by Brandon Som · A man doesn’t recognize his own wife: From Delia Ephron’s Siracusa

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