Amtrak Residents Announced, David Mitchell's Advice for Writers, 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:

Amtrak has announced the recipients of its inaugural writers residency program. Twenty-four writers—running the gamut from poets and novelists to bloggers, biographers, journalists, and sports writers—were chosen from roughly 16,000 applicants. Over the next year, the winners will take their work to the rails, writing aboard long-distance trains all across the country. (NPR)

In other award news, Bob Shacochis has been named the winner of the 2014 Dayton Literary Peace Prize in fiction for his novel The Woman Who Lost Her Soul (Grove/Atlantic). In an announcement yesterday, the judges remarked that Shacochis “creates an intricate portrait of the catastrophic events that have led to an endless cycle of vengeance and war between cultures.” The $10,000 award is given annually for a works of fiction and nonfiction that promote peace and understanding of other cultures, peoples, religions, and political points of view. (Washington Post)

“I’ve read more dirty books than any man in New England.” In its continuing coverage honoring Banned Books Week, the New Republic has republished a 1930 essay about the man who was once responsible for censoring books in all of New England.

In October, Cambridge University will distribute a survey in the United Kingdom to find out which poems people have committed to memory and why. The researchers say they hope to find out “what poetry resides in our collective memory” and “how [those poems] might act as an emotional resource, contribute to a sense of identity, assist in the development of an ear for language, engender a sense of community, play a role in memories of a personal or communal past.” (The Poetry and Memory Project)

“Neglect everything else.” David Mitchell, whose latest novel, The Bone Clocks, was published this month by Random House, offers his advice on writing—including how to focus and stay present in the ever-distracting digital age—and discusses his own process, which involves keeping a James Wright poem on hand as a reminder of how to live in the moment. (Atlantic)

New research shows that 73 percent of young readers between the ages of 16 and 24 prefer print books over digital formats. (The Bookseller)

Little, Brown has announced that it will publish the first and only authorized book about late musician Nick Drake’s life and work. Remembered For A While, a book six years in the making, will include an introduction by Drake’s sister—who compiled and edited the book alongside Cally Callomon, the executor of Drake's estate—along with contributions from fellow musicians, critics, and friends. The book will be released on December 9, a date that marks the fortieth anniversary of Drake’s death. (Publishers Weekly)