Hurricane Sandy Relief, Combat Writer’s Block, and More

by
Evan Smith Rakoff
11.6.12

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:

As we recover from the destruction of Hurricane Sandy, GalleyCat lists a few opportunities to volunteer.

Just as Sandy hit the northeast, the publishing industry was awash in news of the merger of Random House and PenguinNew York has the insider's view of how it came about.

With the presidential election looming, James McGirk looks at literature of the right-wing, and asks, "What else is there, beyond Atlas Shrugged?" (Daily Beast)

 “Are you the daughter of Obama?” Author Emily Raboteau writes of visiting Ghana in the days following the Obama family's historic sub-Saharan tour. (Guernica)

"Long gone are the days of the catholic scholar who could quote both Pindar and Newton with ease." Alexander Nazaryan explains why more writers should embrace math. (New Yorker)

Critic Julia Turner looks at the lyrical versatility of Twitter hashtags. (New York Times Magazine)

Choire Sicha argues that the literature of science fiction master Ursula Le Guin makes genre divisions "seem foolish." (Slate)

To help you participate in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), Flavorwire rounded up thirteen tips to combat writer’s block.

And for election day, the Academy of American Poets offers a selection of poems to celebrate the experience, including Elizabeth Alexander's "Praise Song for the Day."