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:
“I think it is a political act to force someone to enter the mind, the spirit, the perspective of another human being. We are often resistant to this experience because it forces us to give up all our ideas about other people and actually enter their lives and see through their eyes.” Author Tobias Wolff talks to the Boston Review about politics of literature and the motivations behind teaching and writing.
Elisabeth Donnelly makes a case for more inclusiveness—through what she calls “poptimism”—in literary criticism and culture, which she cites as snobby, misogynistic, and too often lacking in cultural relevance. (Flavorwire)
The Washington, D.C. Public Library has hired a social worker to work with homeless patrons. Jean Badalamenti, who has taken on the new role, tells the Washington Post, “Because the libraries tend to be gathering places for people without homes, it's important to be part of the citywide conversation about how we're going to address homelessness, health services, and moving people out of homelessness.”
Crown Publishing Group shares the strange and often bewildering handwriting of very famous authors. (BuzzFeed)
Bruce Springsteen has written a children’s book. Outlaw Pete, the story of a bank-robbing baby, is based on his song of the same name, and will be published by Simon & Schuster in November. (NPR)
Best-selling authors Sherman Alexie and Jess Walter have launched a new podcast series, “A Tiny Sense of Accomplishment,” which will involve discussions, interviews, and the authors reading from their works-in-progress. (Los Angeles Times)
A new digital novel from Atavist Books, The New World, pushes the boundaries of digital literature by giving readers the ability to plot their own navigation of the story. For more about Atavist’s interactive new spin on digital literature, read an article published in the July/August issue of Poets & Writers Magazine. (GalleyCat)
With the last weekend of August upon us, Book Riot asks a number of authors what they’re reading this summer.
