Wimpy Kid Lawsuit, "I Hate Jonathan Safran Foer," and More

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:

Jeff Kinney, the author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, is suing Antarctic Press over its publication of Diary of a Zombie Kid, alleging the publisher "intended to confuse the public" into believing it was a continuation of Kinney's popular series. (BBC News)

With the Christmas Day release of the film adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, writer Alexander Nazaryan, who lives in an apartment nearby Safran Foer's palatial brownstone, and is often mistaken for the successful young novelist, declares, "Obviously, I hate Jonathan Safran Foer." (New York Daily News)

Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney has donated his archive of collected literary papers to the National Library of Ireland. "The archive includes sixteen bound notebooks, sheaves of manuscripts, early working drafts, corrections, rewrites and proofs of his poetry, as well as notebooks given to him and signed by his children as gifts." (Irish Times)

According to the Guardian, the spat between poet Rita Dove and critic Helen Vendler has escalated.

Novelist Kate Christensen, whose book The Astral was published this year by Random House, has launched a food-related blog. "You get a phone call from your ex-husband telling you a beloved old friend has died. You haven’t bought groceries in days, and it’s time to make dinner, and it’s too late now to shop, and you don’t feel like going out. Look in the freezer; look in the pantry and cabinets; check the basket where you keep potatoes and onions. You have the makings of dinner, it’s just a matter of figuring out where they are."

In part three of its Ghost of Books series—featuring authors revealing what they're reading in the present and indelible books of their past—Meghan Daum writes of Mary McCarthy and her love for Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series. (Los Angeles Review of Books)

Meanwhile, the Millions continues its Year in Reading with today's installment featuring Writers' Houses creator A. N. Devers.

If you find yourself with a shiny new smart phone or tablet this holiday, here is a comprehensive list of poetry apps to enjoy.

Documenting a growing trend, GalleyCat has collected reader photos of Christmas trees made of books.

Today marks the last Daily News for 2011. See you in the New Year, and happy holidays!