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:
In the wake of the murders at the AME Emanuel Church in Charleston, poet and National Book Award–winner Claudia Rankine reflects on the prevalence of systemic racism in America. “A sustained state of national mourning for black lives is called for in order to point to the undeniability of their devaluation. The hope is that recognition will break a momentum that laws haven’t altered.” (New York Times)
Fact-checking is a standard in-house practice at magazines, but book publishers tend to rely on their authors to pay for and direct the fact-checking process. In September, however, Tim Duggan Books—an imprint of Crown Publishing—will be the first publisher to offer and pay for fact-checking services. (Vulture)
Following James H. Billington’s recent announcement that he will retire from his post as Librarian of Congress, Robinson Meyer considers how the new Librarian of Congress will have the opportunity to change American copyright policy. (Atlantic)
Last Friday, British poet Simon Armitage was elected the new Oxford Professor of Poetry. Armitage beat out American poet A. E. Stallings and Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka. The post—second only to the poet laureate in terms of prestige in the British literary scene—was established in 1708, and has been held by poets Matthew Arnold and W. H. Auden. (Telegraph)
“Poetry’s main task in fact may be to reactivate, with whatever particular amalgams of happiness and sorrow appeal to each poet, that aspect of language which reminds us of the paradox of both being able to communicate, and all the ways words and language fall short….[M]usic can in its wordlessness leap over that gap that saying always leaves.” At the Believer, poet Matthew Zapruder and musician Missy Mazzoli discuss the process of working on Mazzoli’s album Vespers for a New Dark Age together, the intersections of poetry and music, and more.
HarperCollins imprint Harlequin announced a new rewards program that allows its readers to earn points for book purchases and social media engagement; points can then be used to redeem personalized rewards including books, gift baskets, and even Skype conversations with Harlequin authors. Harlequin is the first publisher to introduce such a program. (PR Newswire)
The Canadian Library Association has launched a public campaign against publishers that charge Canadian libraries high premiums for e-books. Some publishers charge libraries up to eighty-five dollars per digital copy, even though the retail price is much lower. (CBC News)
