Abducted Blogger Is a Hoax, Three Cups of Lawsuit, and More

by
Evan Smith Rakoff
6.13.11

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:

Syrian blogger Amina Abdallah Araf al Omari, a lesbian activist thought to be abducted last week, has been found alive and well and living in Scotland—and is a middle-aged American man named Tom MacMaster. (Guardian)

Greg Mortenson faces another lawsuit over his best-selling memoir, Three Cups of Tea. (Daily Beast)

David Mamet, Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright, admits he's crazy for Sarah Palin. (Slate)

Amazon is playing hardball with the state of Arkansas. (Bloomberg)

Today marks the twentieth anniversary of the publication of American Psycho. Annie Coreno talks to Bret Easton Ellis about his famous novel. (Publishers Weekly)

Salman Rushdie claims television dramas have surpassed novels and movies as the most attractive mode of expression. He's also writing a science fiction TV series. (Guardian)

Fiction writer Edan Lepucki discusses reality TV, being pissed at Jonathan Franzen, and the importance of mentorship. (Millions)

In case you're playing hooky and heading to the shore, over at the Book Lady's blog Rebecca Joines Schinsky has selected a trio of great paperbacks to stuff in your beach bag.