Sholeh Wolpé
"Poetry is condensed language with an internal music." Poet, artist, and literary translator Sholeh Wolpé speaks about how growing up and living within different cultures has influenced her writing.
Literacy Charities, World’s Greatest Storytellers, and More
Painters and poets of the New York School; the year of the essay; active reading; and other news.
Wolf in White Van
"You can't say anything qualitatively about the imagination being a great and nurturing place or a dangerous and terrible place—it's all that stuff." Debut novelist and Mountain Goats frontman John Darnielle talks about his book, Wolf in White Van (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014), which was longlisted for the 2014 National Book Award in Fiction.
Expensive Book Bids, a Push for Libraries to Emulate Coffee Shops, and More
Joseph Brodsky’s commencement speech; chapbooks over greeting cards; beyond the Bechdel Test; and other news.
Stewart O'Nan
"'How does it feel to be you?' That's the ultimate question for a fiction writer." The novelist speaks about his early influences and how he writes his characters. O'Nan's West of Sunset (Viking, 2015) is featured in Page One in the January/February issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.
Making New Friends
An old song goes: “Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.” Does making new friends come naturally to you, or is it easier said than done? Do you use social media sites like Facebook to make new connections, or do you prefer to meet new people at social events? This week, write a personal essay reflecting on how you get to know people, and how they become a part of your life.
The Prince of Poets, Handwriting Advocacy, and More
Too many hyphens; responding to critics; the year’s best sentences; and other news.
Library Setting
Jorge Luis Borges once said, “I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library.” Libraries are fascinating places, full of knowledge and mystery. Think of a library you’ve been to in the past. It could be the local library you went to as a kid to look at picture books, or a library you visited once to kill time. Take this library and use it as the setting for the beginning of a new story. Consider the librarian on duty, the regulars, the dark corners, and old books with strange, scribbled notes. What brings people to this library? What are they trying to find?
Boy in a Whalebone Corset
Saeed Jones recites a poem from his poetry collection, Prelude to Bruise (Coffee House Press, 2014), at the Dodge Poetry Festival in October. Jones is one of the debut poets featured in "Breaking Into the Silence" in the January/February issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.
Jane Austen’s Birthday, the Man Who Saved Waterstones, and More
“Blinkist” app releases audio version; standout poetry books of 2014; Judy Blume’s adult novel; and other news.
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