Philip Roth’s Last Public Talk, A Poem That Eliminates Pollution, and More

by
Staff
5.15.14

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:

The New York Times abruptly fired its executive editor, Jill Abramson, yesterday. Abramson was the first woman to lead the newspaper in its 163-year history.

In accepting the first-ever Artist Medal from Yaddo this week, Philip Roth has reportedly given the last public talk of his life. (ABC News)

In Sheffield, England, a poem by Simon Armitage titled “In Praise of Air” has been printed on a giant poster that uses nanotechnology to digest pollution from the surrounding air. (BBC)

Meanwhile, humanitarian group Water is Life has partnered with scientist Teri Dankovich to develop an informational book about the need for filtering drinking water, whose pages also serve as filters that can purify water for up to four years. (Slate)

The owners of St. Mark’s Bookshop, an independent bookstore in Manhattan, has signed a lease on a new location, avoiding the threat of closure brought on by rising rent and a drop-off in sales. (New York Times)

In conjunction with the upcoming BookExpo America conference in New York City, Publishers Marketplace has released Buzz Books, a free digital sampling of thirty books with publication dates scheduled for the fall. 

The Nation examines how an increasing trend toward digital publishing is weighing heavily on university presses, many of whom struggle to stay afloat.

Public Radio International’s series First Days shares the story of Chilean poet Marjorie Agosín, whose moves to and from the United States were met with a number of challenges.

Atlas Obscura features Gould’s Book Arcade in Newtown, Australia, a bookstore covered from floor to ceiling in tens of thousands of books.