New Conference Addresses Rare Book Theft, AWP Removes Vanessa Place From Panel Committee, and More

by
Staff
5.18.15

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:

The Association for Writers and Writing Programs has removed Vanessa Place from its 2016 Los Angeles conference panel committee. The decision was made in response to controversy surrounding Place’s Twitter page, on which the conceptual poet, who is white, is tweeting excerpts of Margaret Mitchell’s novel Gone with the Wind in the voice of the character Mammy. More than two thousand writers signed a petition to remove Place from the AWP panel committee, voicing concerns over what they felt to be racial insensitivity. In a statement issued this morning, the organization said of its decision: “AWP believes in freedom of expression. We also understand that many readers find Vanessa Place’s unmediated quotes of Margaret Mitchell’s novel to be unacceptable provocations, along with the images on her Twitter page. AWP must protect the efficacy of the conference subcommittee’s work.” (Change.org, Association of Writers & Writing Programs)

On June 26, the British Library will host an international conference centered on ways to protect cultural heritage. The conference, titled, “The Written Heritage of Mankind in Peril,” was arranged to address an alarming rate of rare book and manuscript theft from national libraries. (Guardian)                                                                                                     

“For Wouk, the United States is a haven of safety and plenty in a planet on fire—and the only possible source of rescue for all those in danger.” At the Atlantic, David Frum considers the long career and literary achievements of American war novelist Herman Wouk, who will turn one hundred on May 27.

Booksellers across the country are preparing a variety of promotional strategies for the highly anticipated July 14 release of Harper Lee’s new novel, Go Set a Watchman. (Wall Street Journal)

Fast Company associate editor Jillian Goodman has started a Kickstarter campaign to fund a new general interest magazine with a staff comprised entirely of women. The Mary Review will feature criticism, poetry, fiction, art, and news reports. Though all of Mary’s content will be written and created by women, the publication aims to appeal to everyone.

In a positive turn for independent bookstores in the age of Amazon, Joanna Scutts reports for the Daily Beast about the various successes of the inaugural Independent Bookstore Day, which took place earlier this month.

A forthcoming BBC television drama will explore the family life of famous 19th-century literary sisters Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë. To Walk Invisible: The Brontë Sisters is set in Yorkshire, England, and follows the relationships between the sisters, their brother Branwell, and their self-educated father. The BBC has commissioned award­-winning television writer Sally Wainwright to write and direct the drama. (Bookseller)