Every day Poets & Writers Magazine scans the headlines—publishing reports, literary dispatches, academic announcements, and more—for all the news that creative writers need to know. Here are today’s stories.
Substack has courted another established writer [2] to publish on its platform: Chuck Palahniuk has signed on to serialize a new novel titled Greener Pastures, which will be exclusively available to readers who have paid to subscribe to his newsletter. Though the author will also publish free content, including short fiction and essays. The news comes just a few weeks after Salman Rushdie revealed he would publish a novella [3] via Substack. (Publishers Weekly)
This year’s 5 Under 35 authors [4], selected by previous National Book Foundation honorees, have been revealed. Caleb Azumah Nelson, Nathan Harris, Lee Lai, Claire Luchette, and Dantiel W. Moniz were each selected for the distinction, which seeks to honor “fiction writers under the age of thirty-five whose debut work promises to leave a lasting impression on the literary landscape.”
Lai appeared in this year’s First Fiction [5] feature in Poets & Writers Magazine. An excerpt from her debut graphic novel, Stone Fruit [6], is available online.
“I hope that the work that I’ve done here invites other people to see what they can find out about themselves and about their communities.” Mai Der Vang discusses how archival research informed the writing of her latest poetry collection [7], Yellow Rain. (Rumpus)
“I fundamentally believe that the universe is in active collaboration with us at all times.” Casey Gerald, the author of There Will Be No Miracles Here, attunes to both his soul and his surroundings [8]. (Creative Independent)
“I’ve always been interested in the shapes of families, and the space appropriated by the older, younger, or middle sibling—whether they accept their place or rebel against it.” Esther Freud reflects on the family dynamics in her short story “Desire,” [9] which recently appeared in the New Yorker.
“So you want to read a white man. Or you don’t, but you’re powerless against the pull of all those best-sellers and boldfaced names.” Seija Rankin surveys new and forthcoming behemoth books by men [10], including Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr and Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen. (Entertainment Weekly)
“Did the master of nuance and inner conflict really go for a neat, happy ending?” Angelina Chapin scrutinizes how Sally Rooney chose to conclude her latest novel [11], Beautiful World, Where Are You. (Cut)
Five authors are in the running for the 2021 John Dos Passos Prize, administered by Longwood University, which honors “America’s most talented but underappreciated writers [12]”; they are Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, Nathan Englander, Maaza Mengiste, Monique Truong, and Leni Zumas.