Literature and Burlesque, State of Freelance Writing, and More

by
Evan Smith Rakoff
3.5.13

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:

It looks as if self-publisher Author Solutions—whose brands are AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Trafford, Xlibris, Inkubook, and Wordclay—may be headed to court. The law firm of Giskan Solotaroff Anderson & Stewart LLP is gathering signatures from self-published authors for a class-action suit. Penguin purchased Author Solutions last year. (Lit Reactor)

In case you were curious about the state of freelance magazine writing, on his blog, Peabody Award-winning journalist Nate Thayer reports the Atlantic offered to republish one of his essays—for free.

Meanwhile, Julian Barnes claims authors are driven by market forces to write about sex. (Telegraph)

And at the Paris Review Daily, Rae Bryant details the intersection of literature and burlesque.

Coffee House Press announced it's expanding its catalog to include books of essays and creative nonfiction. (Publishers Weekly)

Brooklyn Magazine talks to Maris Kreizman, the creator of the popular literary Tumblr, Slaughterhouse 90210.

Tom Hanks's Playtone, together with Focus Features, are closing in on the acquisition of film rights to Neil Gaiman's new novel, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, due out in June from William Morrow. (Deadline)

In other Hollywood news, John Wells is developing a television show based on Sara Gran's Claire DeWitt series, which features a private eye in post-Katrina New Orleans. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Gran is attached to pen the hour-long script.