Every day Poets & Writers Magazine scans the headlines—from publishing reports to academic announcements to literary dispatches—for all the news that creative writers need to know. Here are today's stories:
With the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in our nation's capital coming up this Sunday, and many corresponding celebratory events, Washington's libraries offer a reading list of books for young and not-so-young alike. (Washington Post [2])
In the wake of the earthquake that shook the East Coast yesterday, old hands at rumblings and quakes over at the Los Angeles Times [3] have provided a list of reading to get everyone else up to speed.
Booktrack, a new technology company based in New York, plans to release e-books with synchronized soundtracks "that dramatically boost the reader's imagination and engagement." HarperCollins and Sony are listed on Booktrack's website as some of its partners, along with James Frey's Full Fathom Five. (New York Times [4])
Soundtracks to books may seem new, but literary playlists have been the rage for some time. (For examples, see Largehearted Boy [5] and the New York Times [6].) Recently, Galleycat has been posting playlists for authors using Spotify—the music streaming service that was recently released to American audiences—like this Jazz-based playlist [7] hand picked by Geoff Dyer for his new book, But Beautiful.
Today, Google’s homepage celebrates the 112th birthday of Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges. A master of the short story, as well as a prolific poet, critic, and translator, Borges pioneered the literary style known as magical realism. (PC World [8])
In light of John Ashbery's recently published translation of Arthur Rimbaud's Illuminations, novelist Daniel Mendelsohn takes a fresh look at the influential French poet, who wrote his most remembered work while still a teenager. (New Yorker [9])
In the running for best headline of the week, the folks at Harriet [10] excerpt a Paris Review interview with poet Cathy Park Hong about her new collection Engine Empire. Taking a line from one of Hong's poems, the headline reads: "Osip Mandelstam was a Pistol-Twirling Silk-Popper Buck Nun!"
Will there ever be typo- and error-free e-books? Yes, and we'll read them in our automated, flying cars. (Publishing Perspectives [11])