The Reading Habits of Millennials, the Competitive Job Market for Creative Writers, and More

by
Staff
9.10.14

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:

More Millennials than people over thirty have read a book in the last year, according to a Pew Research Center study released today. The study, which focused on how Americans from ages sixteen to twenty-nine engage with libraries and read, also found that Millennials are more likely than their elders to say that there is important information not available on the Internet. (Pew Research Center)

Barnes & Noble reports that while its revenue fell 7 percent in the first quarter of its 2015 fiscal year, it has cut its net loss to $28.4 million—at this time last year, the company reported a net loss of $87 million. CEO Michael Huseby attributes the declining loss to improved physical book industry trends and merchandising initiatives. (Publishers Weekly)

 “When is the right time to tell aspiring writers about their job prospects? In graduate school? Before they even apply to graduate school? Or sooner than that even—in their first creative writing class?” At the Millions, author and creative writing professor Cathy Day considers the shrinking number of jobs in publishing and academia for creative writers.

On the subject of academia, Flavorwire rounds up the opinions of twenty-seven writers, from Flannery O’Connor to Jonathan Franzen to Junot Díaz, on whether or not a writer should get an MFA.

Forbes has released a list of the world’s seventeen top-earning authors, led by crime writer James Patterson, who made $90 million before taxes and fees between June 2013 and June 2014. Novelist Gillian Flynn and young adult novelists John Green and Veronica Roth join the list this year.

Meanwhile, television personality Judge Judy Sheindlin has posted her latest book of advice for women, What Would Judy Say? Be the Hero of Your Own Story, for free download on her website. (Los Angeles Times)

As part of Scholastic’s “Open a World of Possible” campaign, R&B singer Usher will host a webcast in November to encourage reading among children. Scholastic will also donate a hundred thousand books to young readers and schools. (GalleyCat)

“Novels might not make us worse, but they can unlock parts of us that were already there, already dark, already violent or ruthless or self-destructive.” In this week’s installment of the New York Times Bookend series, author Leslie Jamison talks with writer Francine Prose about the possible dangers of reading a book.