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:

Bethan Tichborne, a poet and Oxford graduate, was arrested at a tree-lighting ceremony in England [2], at which Prime Minister David Cameron shared the stage with Santa. (Harriet)

The BBC announced it will create a six-episode series based on Susanna Clarke's bestselling novel [3] Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. (TVWise)

Alexander Nazaryan suggests Zoë Heller's recent piece in the New York Review of Books on Salman Rushdie's memoir Joseph Anton may be the "hatchet job of the year [4]." (New York Daily News)

"Do not do so as an academic critic, nor as a person drunk on art, nor as a barbarian in the literary market place. Do so as a sensitive person who has a few practical hunches about how stories can succeed or fail." Slate features an Iowa Writers’ Workshop assignment by Kurt Vonnegut [5], reprinted from the new book, Kurt Vonnegut: Letters.

The Millions has launched its anticipated month-long series, "A Year in Reading. [6]"

"A month ago, I touched a lock of Sylvia Plath’s hair. [7]" For Tin House's blog, Emma Komlos-Hrobsky writes of attending a Sylvia Plath symposium in Bloomington, Indiana, and takes a fresh look at Plath’s poem, “The Night Dances."

New York magazine's Kathryn Schulz lists her ten favorite books of 2012 [8], with Alice Munro's Dear Life topping the list.

The Salt Institute in Portland, Maine, has posted the audio of a master class with author Susan Orlean [9]—the subject is "finding a good story."