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In Qatar, poet Muhammad ibn al-Dheeb al-Ajami has been sentenced to life in prison after writing lines inspired by the Arab Spring; GalleyCat offers its last piece of advice for National Novel Writing Month; Nick Hornby will adapt the film version of Cheryl Strayed's Wild for Reese Witherspoon; and other news.
This short film, starring Jason Goddard and directed by James Button, is an experimental take on the tale of Orpheus, the Greek poet who went to the underworld after the death of his wife Eurydice and secured her release from the dead, only to lose her because he failed to obey the condition that he must not look back at her until they had reached the world of the living.
Self-published author Terri Donald is suing movie star Tyler Perry; Neil Gaiman is penning an HBO adaptation of his book American Gods; Creative Loafing takes the pulse of Atlanta's burgeoning literary community; and other news.
The author of thirteen poetry collections, including Almost Invisible, published by Knopf this past March, is introduced by poet Carolyn Forché at the Lannan Center for Poetics and Social Practice at Georgetown University on November 13.
Simon & Schuster has created Archway Publishing, a self-publishing service; a copyright law that allows authors to purge thirty-five-year-old publishing contracts will take effect in 2013; Michelle Seaton explains how to get past your submission phobia; and other news.
Write about something that has been passed down through your family for generations. It can be anything from an appreciation for music to a healthy appetite, or even a political bias. Explore both the positive and negative implications, exploring how this inheritance has shaped you.
Write down snippets of conversation that you overhear throughout the day. Choose a few compelling lines and write a story based on this dialogue, letting it direct the story line and the characters you imagine.
In addition to helping with relief efforts in her Staten Island community following Huricane Sandy, Jennifer Fitzgerald used her poetry to help explain the physical and emotional impact the storm had on New York. Here she is on PBS NewsHour.
What kind of publicity is a publisher apt to offer a midlist author? Can this be negotiated, or is the author still going to pay out of pocket for a ten-date tour in key cities?
It varies widely, but most midlist fiction authors won’t be sent on ten-date tours. They’ll be encouraged to give readings in cities where they live or where they can guarantee a substantial audience. It’s become more cost effective for the author to reach out via the Internet. Moreover, it’s a recipe for depression to take an author far from home and have him read his novel to the events coordinator and the ubiquitous crazy guy. If you want to help make tours viable again, start by attending a local reading by an author you haven’t heard of, and buy her book.
Edgar Allan Poe's historic home in Baltimore has been vandalized; author Wanda Coleman has been hospitalized, and is asking for assistance; Jackson Prize-winning poet Henri Cole's dispatch from Paris; and other news.
