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:
“To my mind, it’s one of the deepest gratifications the poet or fiction writer knows.” In the New Yorker, Brad Leithauser explores the unique internal satisfaction of writing a successful metaphor [2].
The New York Public Library bought a collection of Tom Wolfe’s manuscripts and letters [3], which includes an original draft of his debut novel, The Bonfire of the Vanities, for $2 million. (Guardian)
“They are arbiters of the joy of reading, not of some preconceived notion of taste.” Author Denise Kiernan explains why book lovers should support independent bookstores [4] on Small Business Saturday. (Huffington Post)
The first book published in English in North America, the Bay Psalm Book, printed in 1640 by Puritans in Massachusetts, sets a record as the most expensive book ever [5] sold at auction. (New York Times)
Critics and editors at the Washington Post offer a comprehensive introduction [6] to the literary side of Washington, D.C.
Maureen Corrigan recommends a literary escape [7] from the travel anxieties and holiday stress of “Thanksgivukkah.” (NPR)
“The human being needs language, and the human being needs language to be treated well—not just with easy, throw-away sentences.” In the Atlantic, Joe Fassler examines the many ways literature can touch the human soul [8] and create a greater sense of empathy.