TODAY: In 1844, Emily Brontë writes the poem “A Death-Scene,” which was later published in 1846 in a book collecting poetry by Brontë and her siblings. We asked the best book designers in the business about their favorite covers of the year: they have thoughts. | Lit Hub “I’ve always loved squid—not in the culinary sense,
Literature
December 1, 2020, 3:59pm Today, The Financial Times and McKinsey & Company announced the winner of its 2020 Business Book of the Year Award, which recognizes a work that provides the “most compelling and enjoyable insight into modern business issues.” The prize comes with £30,000 prize and each of the five runners-up will receive £10,000. This year,
When a publisher finally picked up my third book, The Heart of California: Exploring the San Joaquin Valley, my friend Anne congratulated me on completing it. She knew the book had taken me over 20 years to write. Then she asked a keen question: along with the sense of accomplishment, did I feel a little
‘The quality of mercy is not strained’: this memorable speech from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is spoken by Portia, who has disguised herself as a male lawyer in order to defend Antonio – the title character of the play – from Shylock, the Jewish moneylender who has demanded a ‘pound of flesh’ from Antonio
November 30, 2020, 3:48pm There’s a new union on the block: Verso Books announced today that its staff has organized to join the Washington-Baltimore News Guild (WBNG), a unit of the NewsGuild and the Communications Workers of America. Management voluntarily recognized the union last week, according to a statement from the publisher. The move was
TODAY: In 1874, Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables, is born. “So it goes in 2020, my eighth year of holding the revolving-door position of ‘authorized biographer’ for Bette Ford.” Lives may end, but do biographies? | Lit Hub Biography “The dominant caste controlled all resources, controlled whether, when, and if a Black
We Have Ways of Making You Talk is a weekly show exploring the war in close up, hosted by comedian Al Murray and historian James Holland as they discuss all matters Second World War. In the first of our Thanksgiving Specials, Al and James are joined by historian and weapons expert Marty Morgan. Marty talks
Darien Gee is the guest. She has two books out this year. The first is called Other Small Histories, a poetry collection available from Poetry Society of America; the second is a collection of micro-essays called Allegiance, available from Legacy Isle Publishing. From the episode: Darien Gee: I think that imposter syndrome thing is probably
TODAY: In 1960, Richard Wright dies. “If one of them was awarded the prize, the winner would read a statement that rebuked the male-dominated awards hierarchy.” On the time Adrienne Rich turned down a National Book Award. | Lit Hub Biography “Finish reading an especially difficult book, and its cover functions more like a trophy
The coronavirus pandemic is dramatically disrupting not only our daily lives but society itself. This show features conversations with some of the world’s leading thinkers and writers about the deeper economic, political, and technological consequences of the pandemic. It’s our new daily podcast trying to make longterm sense out of the chaos of today’s global
In this week’s Dispatches from The Secret Library, Dr Oliver Tearle explores the literary history of a distinctive word During the eight years I’ve been running this blog and combing every book, website, and trivia list I can find for eye-catching literature-related facts, one of the most satisfying I’ve discovered is that Emily Brontë, who
This week on The Maris Review, Emily Temple joins Maris Kreizman to discuss his book, The Lightness, out now from William Morrow. *On chasing down that elusive Feeling: ET: I sometimes think, as an adult, about how we’re both released and shut out in a cruel way from that obsessive, overwhelming desire [of teenagedom]. And for
November 25, 2020, 12:08pm Yet another musician turns to print! In a November 24 email to her fans, Lorde announced her first book, GOING SOUTH. The book’s release date was not announced, but it is now available for preorder on the musician’s website. GOING SOUTH chronicles a trip Lorde took to Antarctica in early 2019,
November 25, 2020, 12:24pm This year has been nothing less than a series of surprises, revelations, and great reminders of the insidious tapestry of the United States. Antiblackness, police brutality, corrupt healthcare systems, eviction crises, transphobia, poverty (i.e. capitalism), general precarity—these have been the longstanding conditions and circumstances for millions of people in America (and
Emergence Magazine is a quarterly online publication exploring the threads connecting ecology, culture, and spirituality. As we experience the desecration of our lands and waters, the extinguishing of species, and a loss of sacred connection to the Earth, we look to emerging stories. Each issue explores a theme through innovative digital media, as well as
Through the Looking-Glass, the sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, was first published in 1871; according to Alice Liddell, the young girl who inspired Lewis Carroll to write the Alice books, Through the Looking-Glass had its origins in the tales about the game of chess that Carroll (real name Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) used to tell
November 25, 2020, 1:34pm Dear reader, maybe you’re home for the holidays (and, since your dad has just started asking what exactly it is you are doing with that BA in English, you are trying to remember why you made the drive). Maybe you’ve opted out of Thanksgiving this year and are staying inside your
TODAY: In 1845, Portuguese writer José Maria de Eça de Queirós, whom Zola considered to be “far greater than Flaubert,” is born. “The summer of 2020, I spent countless hours helping irate customers cancel their orders of popular anti-racism books.” Katherine Morgan on selling books to white “allies.” | Lit Hub With winter at the doorstep, find