A Poem for Slain Poet Kofi Awoonor, Twenty Ideal Cities for Writers, and More

by
Evan Smith Rakoff
9.26.13

Every day Poets & Writers Magazine scans the headlines—from publishing reports to academic announcements to literary dispatches—for all the news that creative writers need to know. Here are today’s stories:

Kwame Dawes has composed a poem for slain poet Kofi Awoonor, who was killed during the terrorist attack on Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya. (Wall Street Journal)

If the cost and stress of living in New York City is too much, Jason Diamond details twenty other cities that are great for writers. (Flavorwire)

On her blog, Annie Murphy Paul offers descriptions of the types of editors that writers typically work with—both good and bad. (Brilliant Blog)

HTML Giant provides its take on the 2013 National Book Award longlist, and discusses several books that were overlooked, including TwERK, by LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs, and Darby Larson’s IRRITANT.

To mark Banned Books Week, Biographile lists famous authors whose books were banned, including Mark Twain and Kurt Vonnegut.

Huffington Post rounded up writing tips from William Faulkner: “Read, read, read. Read everything.”

And on its Tumblr, the Oxford American found a bevy of great photographs taken by celebrated author Eudora Welty.

Carolyn Kellogg wonders what Charles Bukowski would think about Dewar’s licensing his poem “So, You Want to Be a Writer” to sell scotch. (Los Angeles Times)