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:
After a vigorous bidding war, HBO's Girls creator Lena Dunham's first collection of essays sold to Random House [2] for a reported 3.7 million dollars. (New York Daily News)
Tin House editor Rob Spillman explains why Dunham's big score is not good [3] for the publishing industry. (Salon)
Meanwhile, Slate's Alyssa Rosenberg writes that Dunham's new book [4] is worth every dollar.
Gillian Flynn's third novel, Gone Girl, has sold over 1.5 million copies [5]. (USA Today)
"It isn’t exactly like you’re being offered a night featuring Thomas Pynchon showing slideshows of his summer vacation with Bigfoot alongside the ghost of J.D. Salinger. [6]" Jason Diamond reports on attending a sold out reading by Zadie Smith and Michael Chabon at the famed 92nd Street Y in New York City, replete with scalpers, bickering, and line cutters. (Capital New York)
The Paris Review has launched an App [7].
For NPR, Missy Shelton attended the National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee [8].
The University of Missouri changed its decision to shutter the University of Missouri Press [9], and has rehired the publishing house's longtime editor, Clair Willcox. (New York Times)
For the conclusion of Banned Books Month, author Je Banach has the final word [10]. (PEN American)