Obama Gets Advance Copy of Franzen's Freedom, Google's Net Neutrality Shift, and More

by Staff
8.23.10

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 president of the University of Virginia ordered "a thorough review" of the operations of the Virginia Quarterly Review following the suicide of managing editor Kevin Morrissey. "Conducting this review does not in any way presume that any members of the VQR staff have been involved in improper conduct," the president said. "The review will, I hope, provide a factual basis for understanding this workplace and deciding what corrective actions, if any, the university should undertake." (Washington Post)

New York Magazine asks an intriguing question: "Are Barnes & Noble founder Len Riggio and his nemesis Ron Burkle the only people in America who still want to own a
mega-bookstore?"

According to the Association of American Publishers, e-book sales increased 119 percent in June over the same period in 2009. (Publishers Weekly)

Does Google's recent policy shift on net neutrality complicate the book settlement? Publishers Weekly takes a closer look.  

Though the book is not for sale until August 31, President Obama received an advanced reading copy of Jonathan Franzen's Freedom as a gift from a bookstore on Martha's Vineyard. (Politico)  

The Rumpus has announced the Jonathan Franzen One-Off Book Club to read and discuss Freedom. The new book club will work just like the regular Rumpus Book Club, "except you don’t get the book in advance and the book club will only exist for one month."

A man drove twelve thousand miles across America to spell out a message using a GPS tracking device as a "pen." The message? "Read Ayn Rand." (Guardian)

Do e-books make readers feel less isolated? (New York Times)