Actor B. J. Novak Lands Seven-Figure Book Deal, Go the F**k to Sleep Movie, and More

by
Evan Smith Rakoff
4.12.13

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:

Novelist Dave Farland's son was severely injured in a skateboard accident—the family has no health insurance, and the author's fans are raising money to help pay medical expenses, which may reach one million dollars. (GalleyCat)

Knopf announced a seven-figure two-book contract with Office actor B. J. Novak. The first book will be a collection of short stories based on live shows Novak performed at Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. (Hollywood Reporter)

The Los Angeles Times reports e-books helped increase overall United States book sales in 2012.

David Haglund explains the fabricated claim that Dostoevsky met with Charles Dickens, and looks at the career of the English writer, A. D. Harvey, who hatched the hoax. (Slate)

On her blog, author Dani Shapiro asks, “What is the job of the memoirist?”

Yesterday was the anniversary of Kurt Vonnegut’s death. To mark the occasion, Je Banach met with authors and editors Ben Greenman, Rick Moody, Josip Novakovich, Avi Steinberg, and David Holub to discuss the importance of Vonnegut's work. (Paris Review Daily)

Wendy Francis pens a letter to an aspiring author. (Huffington Post)

The AV Club reports Fox 2000 will make a film adaptation of Adam Mansbach's bestselling kid's book for grownups, Go the F**k to Sleep.