During the long presidential campaign season that finally ends tomorrow, Americans have read extensively about Barack Obama and John McCain. But what do the candidates themselves read? Last week, they shared their favorite books with CBS News anchor Katie Couric.

Matt Weiland, who served for two years as deputy editor of the Paris Review, will step down today to return to book publishing, Publishers Weekly reported. Weiland will assume the position of senior editor at HarperCollins imprint Ecco on November 10.

The Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation announced yesterday the ten recipients of this year's Whiting Writers' Awards.

An out-of-court settlement was reached yesterday between Google, the Authors Guild, and the Association of American Publishers (AAP). In 2005 the Authors Guild and the AAP brought separate lawsuits against Google’s Library Search project, which provides online access to copyrighted material. The $125 million settlement provides compensation to authors and publishers for use of their works.

A Michigan man charmed a circuit court judge on Friday with a poetic defense, avoiding punishment for a probation violation.

The New York Public Library unveils today an exhibit of the library's archives from Yaddo, an arts colony located in upstate New York.

Cambridge University is celebrating the upcoming four hundredth birthday of John Milton today with a marathon reading of the poet's epic work Paradise Lost. 

Jordanian poet and journalist Islam Samhan was arrested on Tuesday and charged with insulting Islam for using verses from the Quran, the Muslim holy text, in love poems from his recently published collection Grace Like a Shadow, the Associated Press reported. Jordanian law prohibits any writing deemed offensive to Islam or the prophet Muhammad. 

Two weeks ago, global fast food chain Burger King launched a poetry contest. The Meat Haiku promotion, which is open only to Canadian residents, seeks original haikus that celebrate a culinary love of meat. 

The judges of the 2008 Story Prize were announced on Sunday night, representing an array of realms that support the short story.