The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Poet Thomas Lux Has Died, and More
The books Steven Bannon reads; Paul Auster on solitude and his 866-page novel; Tongue relaunches; and other news.
Genre: Creative Nonfiction
Laila Lalami on U.S. Citizenship, the Conversational Lexicon, and More
The career of “master of quirk” Jason Rekulak; the hazards of beauty in poetry; a renga for Obama; and other news.
The Impact of the NEA, Reading and Hiking, and More
Poems to read for Black History Month; marketing books with expletive-laden titles; James Baldwin documentary opens today; and other news.
I Am Not Your Negro
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Based on an unfinished manuscript for a book by James Baldwin that would “tell his story of America through the lives of three of his murdered friends: Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X,” as the opening declares, this Oscar-nominated documentary is directed by Raoul Peck and narrated by Samuel L. Jackson.
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The Savvy Self-Publisher: Lucetta Zaytoun
Lucetta Zaytoun discusses the process of self-publishing her debut memoir, It’s Already Tomorrow Here. A publicist and a publishing consultant offer their advice on design, distribution, and long-term marketing strategies to the author.
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Jean Valentine Wins Bollingen Prize, Frederick Douglass’s Legacy, and More
Solmaz Sharif on poetry that moves beyond diagnosis; fiction writer Bharati Mukherjee has died; Ursula Le Guin on fact versus fiction; and other news.
All Within Your Reach
A travel website recently compiled a world map showcasing the slogans of different countries, most of which were created by tourism boards to promote tourism. Take a look at the wide variety of national slogans, or find the slogan or motto of a U.S. city or state you’re familiar with, and write an essay inspired by the phrase. Explore the ways in which the slogan touches upon the projected image or desired impression of your locale, and how it might resonate or conflict with your own memories.
An Open Call for Muslim Writers, Black History Month, and More
Hillary Clinton to publish book of essays in the fall; New York City and BuzzFeed Books launch “One Book, One New York”; the political cartoons of Dr. Seuss; and other news.
Tell Me Everything You Don’t Remember
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“I just really wanted my words back—it was the one thing I lost, and it was the one thing I wanted back.” In the book trailer for her debut memoir, Tell Me Everything You Don’t Remember: The Stroke That Changed My Life (Ecco, 2017), Christine Hyung-Oak Lee describes experiencing a stroke and how writing contributed to her recovery.
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Word of the Year
Last month, “bundespraesidentenstichwahlwiederholungsverschiebung” was voted Austria’s word of the year, which roughly translated means “postponement of the repeat runoff of the presidential election.” Likewise, words tied to politics such as “xenophobia,” Dictionary.com’s word of the year; Oxford Dictionaries’ term for 2016, “post-truth;” and Merriam-Webster’s plea for users to stop looking up the word “fascism” to prevent it from becoming its word of the year (“surreal” was the eventual winner) reflected what was on everyone’s minds last year. What was your word of the year for 2016? Write a short essay where you explore your interactions with that word and its meaning. Look up the word’s etymology for a deeper exploration.
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