Crowdsourcing Tolstoy, Leaving New York City, Writing With Microsoft Word, and More

by
James F. Thompson
10.15.13

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:

Leo Tolstoy’s great-great-granddaughter, Fyokla Tolstaya, crowdsources volunteers to edit vast amounts of material now available online at the Leo Tolstoy State Museum. (New Yorker)

In the Rumpus, author Melissa Febos discusses her experiences living in, writing in, and later leaving New York City.

On GalleyCat, writer Charles Stross disparages Microsoft Word for being too cumbersome and behind the times.

In “Some Words about Worldessness” Mark O’Connel explores the compelling relationship between words and human beings too young to speak or write. (Millions)

Actor and author James Franco promotes his new book by leveraging an image that no one can figure out. (NPR)

These tattooed librarians are changing the stereotype of this once understated profession. (Huffington Post)

Oscar Hijuelos, Cuban American novelist who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1989 for his book The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, died on Sunday at the age of 62 in Manhattan.  (New York Times)

A closer look at Carrie demonstrates why Stephen King deserves recognition for being a serious novelist and not simply a writer of horror. (Flavorwire)