Toni Morrison on the Colbert Report, Scary Stories on the Big Screen, and More

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:

Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison recently appeared on Comedy Central’s Colbert Report. During her interview, Morrison discussed rereading her Pulitzer Prize-winning book Beloved for the first time since its publication, the complexities of identity writing, and the topic of race as a social construct. (Salon)

Yesterday, author Daniel Handler made a public apology over racially charged jokes he made while hosting the National Book Awards ceremony, which were directed towards NBA winner Jacqueline Woodson. This morning, Handler took his apology further: For the next twenty four hours, the author will match donations up to $100,000 to the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books. (Washington Post)

The 92nd Street Y’s Unterberg Poetry Center and the Paris Review have made their co-presented series of author recordings available online. Hear the newest additions to the collection­– recordings of Maya Angelou, Denise Levertov, and Gary Snyder– at the Paris Review.

Following the Wall Street Journal report last month that Amazon would open a retail store in New York City, Amazon has signed a seventeen-year lease for a 470,000 square-foot space in midtown Manhattan. The space, however, will not be (entirely) used for retail, as Amazon has stated that they have leased the building “primarily as corporate office space and…intend to sublease to other tenants the ground floor retail space.” (GeekWire)

Alvin Schwartz’s children’s series, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, is set to be adapted for the big screen. The book series, which has sold over 7 million copies worldwide since its publication in 1981, will be adapted by British Academy of Film and Television (BAFTA)–nominated screenwriter John August. August often collaborates with director Tim Burton, and wrote screenplays for Big Fish (2003), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), and Frankenweenie (2012). (Deadline)

In need of some weekend writing inspiration? Read novelist Lydia Millet’s advice for aspiring writers over at the Millions. “We give, at times, despite the knowledge that our gifts may not be needed, wanted, or enjoyed. For us — we must remind ourselves — the joy is in that selfless offering.”

Notes from a nationwide, literary fieldtrip: At the Atlantic, Deborah Fallows gives an account of her visits to libraries across America, and shares the various ways each facility serves its community.

In not-so-shocking news, rich and successful author Stephen King is having some trouble writing about the plight of the common man these days. In a post for the Guardian books blog, Charlotte Seager notes the challenges of writing about characters whose circumstances and personalities differ greatly from one’s own.