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:
Novelist Colum McCann was hospitalized with severe injuries to his face following an assault Wednesday in a hotel in New Haven, Connecticut, where he may have come to the aid of a woman involved in a disagreement. (Washington Post)
G. P. Putnam’s Sons has scheduled publication of But Enough About Me, a memoir penned by actor Burt Reynolds, for fall of 2015. (Los Angeles Times)
After previously being fired from his editing job, blacklisted by his government, and finally arrested for themes of homosexuality in his writing, Iranian poet and novelist Payam Feili has escaped to Turkey after threats of further imprisonment and possible execution. (Daily Beast)
Despite the ongoing dispute between publisher Hachette and Amazon, novelist Edan Lepucki is experiencing unexpected success with her first book, California, following Steven Colbert’s promotional efforts on her behalf. (New York Times)
Meanwhile, several authors, including novelists James Patterson and David Morrell, have signed a letter written by author Douglas Preston accusing Amazon of targeting authors in their battle with Hachette. (Wall Street Journal)
Despite recent reports that Tyndale House has dropped pastor Mark Driscoll from its roster of authors, the publisher has stated that it maintains its support of Driscoll. (Publishers Weekly)
As the World Cup draws to a close, poet Charles Simic shares his enduring love for the game of soccer. (New York Review of Books)
Novelist Mira Jacob writes of her first experience in the working world as the hostess of a restaurant and the romantic opportunities she found there. An excerpt of Jacob’s book, The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing, is included in our 2014 First Fiction Sampler. (Biographile)
