TODAY: In 1884, Romanian writer Panait Istrati, nicknamed The Maxim Gorky of the Balkans, is born.
- “I believe there are essential lies, heroic lies. And I’m very interested in the relationship between secrets and lies.” Margot Livesey and Steven Wingate in conversation. | Lit Hub
- We should all read more literature in translation—these five July books are a great start. | Lit Hub Translation
- “It’s this stubborn responsibility that has kept my tribe on this land for thousands of years, despite aggressive shifts in federal policy.” Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle on writing in her Cherokee homeland. | Lit Hub History
- “A lot of people seem to barely tolerate the person they love. Is that normal?” Molly Wizenberg on what it means to form a couple. | Lit Hub Memoir
- Gelong Thubten on the trap of pursuing well-being… and the billion-dollar industry behind it. | Lit Hub Religion
- Zombies, pigs, zombie pigs, capitalism, and you: Brad Bolman explores the difference between recycling waste and exploiting it. | Lit Hub Politics
- The Souls of Black Folk, Wuthering Heights, The Vegetarian, and more rapid-fire book recs from Darcey Steinke. | Book Marks
- The attempted rehabilitation of George W. Bush’s image continues: the former president is publishing a book of his portraits of immigrants. | Inside Hook
- What are the implications of Alan Dershowitz’s claim that he was defamed by a fictional character? | The Washington Post
- Want to be happier? Try rereading your favorite books from childhood. | Lifehacker
- These books go beyond many standard curricula to show an inclusive look at American history. | Book Riot
- “If some of our current political leaders read books about young people who were unlike them when they were kids, maybe we wouldn’t have to say, ‘Black Lives Matter.’” Angie Thomas on how books build empathy. | TIME
- Matt Lieberman, a Democratic Senate candidate in Georgia, self-published a novel full of racist tropes in 2018. | HuffPost
- Well, this is just nice: An interview with two empty-nesters who run a bookstore together (and live together). | The Atlantic
Also on Lit Hub: Grand stories in grand hotels: A reading list • Speaking with author Carley Moore and artist Neeti Banerji about their serial online novel Panpocalypse • Read an excerpt from Luigi Pirandello’s newly translated collection Stories for the Years, trans. by Virginia Jewiss.