Hunter S. Thompson’s Gonzo Pot, Twenty Years of Cave Canem, and More

by
Staff
12.1.16

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:

In celebration of the Cave Cavem Foundation’s twentieth anniversary this year, several of the organization’s fellows, founders, and faculty members reflect on how Cave Canem changed their lives. (Poetry Foundation)

Hunter S. Thompson’s widow, Anita Thompson, plans to grow and sell marijuana strains cloned from the late author’s personal pot stash. Thompson says that proceeds from the sales will go towards turning her late husband’s forty-two-acre Colorado property, Owl Farm, into a private museum and writers retreat. (Rolling Stone)

Italian author Erri De Luca has won the Literary Review’s 2016 Bad Sex in Fiction Award for some “not-so-steamy” passages in his latest novel, The Day Before Happiness. Last year’s winner was singer-songwriter Morrissey for his debut novel, List of the Lost. (Telegraph)

Iowa is the latest state considering placing a sales tax on e-books and other digital products. (Forbes)

“When they’re not at their day jobs, a great many of the island’s 330,000 inhabitants dabble in verse, including politicians, businessmen, horse breeders and scientists who study the genetic isolation of the island in pursuit of medical breakthroughs.” According to a report at the New York Times, Iceland is “full of hidden poets.”

The gun that poet Paul Verlaine used to shoot Arthur Rimbaud in 1872 was recently sold at auction in Paris for €434,500. (BBC News)

Electric Literature’s Lincoln Michel provides some tips for writers looking to submit to literary magazines. Visit the Poets & Writers Literary Magazine Database for information about more than eight hundred literary publications.

Happy December! The Washington Post and the New York Times have each published their picks for the ten best books of the year.