Swimming to the End: A (Plot) Twist in the River
A precarious attempt to swim across the Hudson River helps a fiction writer explore the pathways of plot—through shifting currents, pain and exhaustion, and an unanticipated twist.
From the Magazine
Industrious After Wisdom: Thoughts on the MFA as a Student and Teacher
Writer and teacher Jim Minick recalls his unique experiences as a student in one MFA program while teaching in another, and offers ideas about what an ideal full- and low-residency program might include.
A Harmony of Whims: Toward a Philosophy of Teaching Writing
Tasked with developing teaching philosophy, an award-winning author of more than twenty-five books looks back on his years of teaching, and reflects on what makes an effective writing teacher.
A Student Remembers: Saying Good-Bye to Peter Matthiessen
Novelist Elizabeth Kostova pays tribute to her longtime writing mentor, the late National Book Award–winning author Peter Matthiessen.
Reginald Dwayne Betts on Poetry and Law, Stephen King’s Mixtape, and More
Neil Gaiman's Norse mythology; breaking taboos and loving the characters we fear; twelve essential American books; and other news.
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Stephen King on Teaching Writing, the Case Against Trigger Warnings, and More
Vook acquires Byliner; Peter Carey on refusing to ghost Julian Assange’s memoir; the campaign for independent bookstores expands; and other news.
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Authors Debate Poetry’s Relevance, Publishing Mergers in 2014, and More
BitLit partners with HarperCollins; Julia Turner named editor in chief of Slate; the burdens placed upon writers of color in academia; and other news.
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The Human Library’s Many Books
A Danish organization challenges library patrons worldwide to confront prejudices and change perspectives through conversations with “human books.”
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Teenage Poet Yahya Hassan, Class Divide Between Adjunct and Tenured Professors, and More
Vice magazine features Yahya Hassan, a teenage Danish Palestinian poet whose first collection is the most popular book of Danish poetry in history; NBC News spotlights the income disparity between adjunct and tenured professors in the United States; BuzzFeed wants to know if you can guess the identity of a classic novel after reading its first sentence; and other news.
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Randy Susan Meyers on Using an Outline, Speaking With Don Share, and More
Poet Charles Simic weighs in on the current state of American society; 2paragraphs speaks with Poetry magazine editor Don Share; Randy Susan Meyers examines the usefullness of an outline; and other news.
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