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:
The creative writing MFA program at the University of Montana Missoula is under threat as the university struggles to make budget cuts, “We are touted as one of the marquee programs at the University of Montana,” says faculty member Judy Blunt. “We are trotted out frequently in that guise. And they are starving us to death.” (Missoulian)
Fiction writer Randa Jarrar stirred national controversy last week when she tweeted about the death of former first lady Barbara Bush. Many people are clamoring for Jarrar, a tenured creative writing professor at Fresno State, to be fired. (Washington Post)
Meanwhile, many writers have rushed to Jarrar’s defense, as have many members of the Fresno literary community. (Fresno Bee)
The New York Times reports on who bought the personal effects of Sylvia Plath, including several of her books and pieces of clothing and jewelry, which were auctioned off last month.
Curtis Sittenfeld talks with the Guardian about her story collection You Think It, I’ll Say It, the novel she’s writing about Hillary Clinton, and why she refuses to write fiction about Melania Trump.
PBS has released a list of America’s hundred favorite novels, which will be featured in the network’s forthcoming television series The Great American Read, scheduled to air on May 22.
Speaking of lists, the staff of Publishers Weekly shares their picks for summer reading, including James A. McLaughlin’s novel Bearskin, Ottessa Moshfegh’s book My Year of Rest and Relaxation, and Kelly Forsythe’s poetry debut, Perennial.
“Kushner has owned several motorcycles; she skis like a racer, attacking the fall line, and rides around town, wearing Rouge Coco lipstick, in a black-cherry 1964 Ford Galaxie.” Dana Goodyear profiles novelist Rachel Kushner, whose new novel, The Mars Room, came out earlier this month. (New Yorker)
Poet Airea D. Matthews talks with Kaveh Akbar about neoconfessionalism in poetry, Anne Sexton, and growing up with a parent that’s an addict. (Divedapper)
