NEW ITALIAN REALITY SHOW FEATURES WRITERS—ALISON BECHDEL’S GRAPHIC MEMOIR ADAPTED for the STAGE

By MICHELLE HOGMIRE | 11/14/13

11/13/13

“Tired Metaphors? Ciao, Contestant!” by N.Y. Times’ Tom Rachman: Rachman discusses an Italian reality show where contestants compete for a book deal and writing fame. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/11/14/arts/television/masterpiece-an-italian-reality-show-for-writers.html?from=arts

“Filming Faulkner’s Modernism: James Franco’s ‘As I Lay Dying,’” by L.A. Review of Books’ Joseph Entin: Entin reviews the film adaptation of Faulkner’s famous novel. http://lareviewofbooks.org/essay/filming-faulkners-modernism-on-james-francos-as-i-lay-dying

11/12/13

“‘We Just Sat and Held Each Other’: How It Feels to Watch Your Life Story Onstage,” by The Atlantic’s Alysia Abbott: Abbott interviews author Alison Bechdel about the stage adaptation of her graphic memoir “Fun Home.”  http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/11/we-just-sat-and-held-each-other-how-it-feels-to-watch-your-life-story-onstage/281369/

“How Do We Judge Books Written Under Pseudonyms?” in N.Y. Times’ Sunday Book Review Bookends: Writers Francine Prose and Daniel Mendelsohn discuss how J.K. Rowling’s decision to publish a book under a different name influenced critics. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/17/books/review/how-do-we-judge-books-written-under-pseudonyms.html

WRITERS WORRIED ABOUT SURVEILLANCE—MARTIN CRUZ SMITH HAS PARKINSON’S DISEASE

By MICHELLE HOGMIRE | 11/12/13

11/11/13

“Surveillance Leaves Writers Wary,” by N.Y. Times’  Noam Cohen: “A survey by the writers’ organization PEN American Center has found that a large majority of its members are deeply concerned about recent revelations regarding the extent of government surveillance of email and phone records, with more than a quarter saying that they have avoided, or are seriously considering avoiding, controversial topics in their work.” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/12/books/pen-american-center-survey-finds-caution-among-members.html?hpw&rref=books&_r=0

“Martin Cruz Smith Reveals a Twist in his Tale,” by N.Y. Times’ Pam Belluck: “Gorky Park” author Martin Cruz Smith reveals that he has had Parkinson’s disease since 1995. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/11/novelist-reveals-a-twist-in-the-tale/

11/10/13

“‘City on Fire,’ a Debut Novel, Fetches Nearly $2 Million,” by N.Y. Times’ Julie Bosman: Bosman discusses how long novels are becoming popular again. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/11/business/media/city-on-fire-a-debut-novel-fetches-nearly-2-million.html?_r=2&

11/8/13

“PD James’s 10 tips for writing novels,” by BBC News’ Alison Feeney-Hart: A list of writing advice from the crime novelist Phyllis Dorothy James. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24867584

BOOKS for EXTREME READERS—EBOOKS put PUBLISHERS OUT OF BUSINESS

By MICHELLE HOGMIRE | 11/7/13

11/4/13

“Selections from One-Star Amazon Reviews of Melville’s Moby-Dick,” by Biblioklept: Galleycat unearths this hilarious list of reviews of Melville’s classic novel. http://biblioklept.org/2013/02/27/selections-from-one-star-amazon-reviews-of-melvilles-moby-dick/

“50 Incredibly Tough Books for Extreme Readers,” by Flavorwire’s Emily Temple: Temple compiles a list of hard books for brave readers, including Melville’s “Moby-Dick” and Wallace’s “Infinite Jest.” http://flavorwire.com/423424/50-incredibly-tough-books-for-extreme-readers/1/

“Ebooks and discounts drive 98 publishers out of business,” by The Guardian’s Liz Bury: “Ninety-eight UK publishers went out of business during the past year, 42% more than the year before, figures which reflect an ongoing squeeze on publishers' profit margins driven by deep retail discounts and new digital business models.” http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/nov/04/ebooks-discounts-98-publishers-closure

11/5/13

“What Would Aldous Huxley Make of the Way We Consume Media and Popular Culture,” in N.Y. Times Bookends: Adam Kirsch and Jennifer Szalai discuss ideas from Huxley’s novel that have come true (and those that haven’t). http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/books/review/what-would-aldous-huxley-make-of-the-way-we-consume-media-and-popular-culture.html?hpw&rref=books&_r=0

MIA COUTOHAS wins NEUSTADT PRIZE—GERARD de VILLIERS dies at 83

By MICHELLE HOGMIRE | 11/5/13

“Book News: Mozambican Writer Wins Neustadt Prize, ‘America’s Nobel,’” by NPR’s Annalisa Quinn: “The Mozambican poet, fiction writer and biologist Mia Coutohas won the Neustadt International Prize for Literature, a biennial award sometimes called "The American Nobel." Couto, […] has written dozens of books in his native Portuguese, including novels, short stories, poetry collections and a children's book.” http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/11/05/243185121/book-news-mozambican-writer-wins-neustadt-prize-america-s-nobel

11/4/13

“NaNoWriMo Writing Tip #2: Create an Outline,” by Galleycat’s Dianna Dilworth: Galleycat offers tips about National Novel Writing Month throughout the month of November. http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/nanowrimo-writing-tip-2-create-an-outline_b79631

11/3/13

“Start-Up to Offer Didion E-Books,” by N.Y. Times’ Julie Bosman: Zola Books is the only place where certain digital works by Didion will be available. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/04/business/media/ZolaBooks-start-up-will-offer-didion-e-books.html?smid=tw-nytmedia&seid=auto

11/2/13

“Gerard de Villiers, 83, French Spy Writer, Dies,” by N.Y. Times’ Robert F. Worth: “Gérard de Villiers, a French popular novelist whose raffish, long-running spy-thriller series, S.A.S., sold more than 100 million copies and became a kind of drop box for real-world secrets from intelligence agencies around the world, died on Thursday in Paris.” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/world/europe/gerard-de-villiers-83-french-spy-writer-dies.html

WILLIAM HARRISON dies at 79—60th ANNIVERSARY of the POETRY LIBRARY

By MICHELLE HOGMIRE | 10/31/13

10/29/13

“William Harrison, 79, Novelist and ‘Rollerball’ Writer, Dies,” by N.Y. Times’ Daniel E. Slotnik: “William Harrison, who adapted his fiction into the films ‘Rollerball’ in 1975 and ‘Mountains of the Moon’ in 1990, died on Oct. 22 at his home in Fayetteville, Ark. He was 79.”  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/30/arts/william-harrison-79-novelist-and-rollerball-writer-dies.html?_r=0

“Poetry Library celebrates 60^th birthday,” by The Guardian’s Liz Bury: The Poetry Library in London’s Southbank Centre observes the occasion with cake and a poetry reading.  http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/29/poetry-library-60th-birthday

“How Has Twitter Changed the Role of the Literary Critic?” in N.Y. Times Sunday Book Review Bookends: Adam Kirsch talks about the lack of critics on the site, while Anna Holmes discusses women critics on Twitter. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/books/review/how-has-twitter-changed-the-role-of-the-literary-critic.html

“Ernest Hemingway’s Advice to a Young Writer: ‘You have to catch hell,’” by Galleycat’s Jason Boog: A section of writing advice published in volume two of the new book, The Letters of Ernest Hemingway. http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/ernest-hemingways-advice-to-a-young-writer-you-have-to-catch-hell_b79467

ONLINE EMILY DICKINSON ARCHIVE—1894 PHOTOGRAPH of TWAIN and TESLA

By MICHELLE HOGMIRE | 10/24/13

10/23/13

“Fiction MFA Application Advice from Elizabeth McCracken,” by Galleycat’s Jason Boog: Boog compiles McCracken’s advice from Twitter about applying for a graduate degree in fiction writing. http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/fiction-mfa-application-advice-from-elizabeth-mccracken_b79277

10/22/13

“What’s Behind the Notion That Nonfiction Is More ‘Relevant’ Than Fiction?” by Rivka Galchen and Pankaj Mishra in N.Y. Times’ Sunday Book Review: The two authors discuss how the notion of truth is contained in fiction. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/27/books/review/whats-behind-the-notion-that-nonfiction-is-more-relevant-than-fiction.html?_r=0

“Enigmatic Dickinson Revealed Online,” by N.Y. Times’ Jennifer Schuessler: “The manuscripts of Emily Dickinson have long been scattered across multiple archives, meaning scholars had to knock on numerous doors to see all the handwritten drafts of a poet whose work went almost entirely unpublished in her lifetime. The online Emily Dickinson Archive, to be inaugurated on Wednesday, promises to change all that by bringing together on a single open-access Web site thousands of manuscripts held by Harvard University, Amherst College, the Boston Public Library and five other institutions.” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/23/books/enigmatic-dickinson-revealed-online.html?_r=0

10/18/13

“Mark Twain Plays With Electricity in Nikola Tesla’s Lab (Photo, 1894),” posted by Open Culture: Photograph of Twain in Tesla’s laboratory. http://www.openculture.com/2013/10/mark-twain-plays-with-electricity-in-nikola-teslas-lab-photo-1894.html

ALICE MUNRO won’t attend NOBEL PRIZE CEREMONY for HEALTH REASONS—WHITING WRITERS’ AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

By MICHELLE HOGMIRE | 10/22/13

10/21/13

“10 Receive Whiting Writers’ Awards,” by N.Y. Times’ Julie Bosman: Bosman lists the winners, which will each receive $50,000 for successful early works. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/22/business/media/10-receive-whiting-writers-awards.html?_r=0

“Yahoo Plucks Influential Tech Writer From NY Times,” by AP (from ABC News): “New York Times technology columnist and gadget reviewer David Pogue is leaving the newspaper to cover similar topics for Yahoo. The hiring announced Monday is the latest step in Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer's effort to infuse the Internet company's website with more compelling content that will persuade people to visit more frequently and stick around longer.” http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/yahoo-plucks-influential-tech-writer-ny-times-20635308  

10/20/13

“Alice Munro won’t go to Sweden to collect her Nobel Prize,” by L. A. Times’ Carolyn Kellogg: “Alice Munro has won the Nobel Prize in Literature, but she won't be attending the prize ceremony in Sweden. On Friday, the head of the Swedish Academy Peter Englund announced on his blog that Munro was too frail to travel to Sweden. ‘Her health is simply not good enough,’ he wrote. ‘All involved, including Mrs. Munro herself, regret this.’” http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-alice-munro-wont-go-to-sweden-to-collect-her-nobel-prize-20131019,0,894230.story#axzz2iSSPJOi4

10/19/13

“Comedy needs more female writers, says Veep’s Armando Iannucci,” by The Guardian/The Observer’s Vanessa Thorpe: Thorpe discusses the rise of British female comedy writers. http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/oct/19/british-female-comedy-writers-control-script