Negative Book Reviews, Kristen Stewart’s Poetry, and More

by
Evan Smith Rakoff
2.12.14

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:

Missouri-based Book House has found a new storefront after losing its lease last year. The twenty-eight-year-old independent bookstore plans to open its doors in April. (Shelf Awareness)

Penguin Books India recalled and intends to pulp Wendy Doniger’s The Hindus: An Alternative History, in settlement of a lawsuit by Hindu nationalist group Shiksha Bachao Andolan. (GalleyCat)

George Packer offers an addendum to his recent New Yorker essay that delved into Amazon’s business.

Authors Francine Prose and Zoë Heller discuss the need for negative book reviews. (New York Times)

Speaking of criticism, film star Kristen Stewart shared her poetry in the pages of Marie Claire, and received a response. (Harriet)

In other Hollywood news, Grove Atlantic will publish a collection of stories by actor Jesse Eisenberg. (Los Angeles Times)

Flavorwire has launched an Author Club series, profiling books by a single author over the course of a month. Its February selection is James Baldwin.