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:
At her blog, Jane Friedman offers tips for how to pitch agents at a writing conference, including what info to have ready, how to deal with rejection, and how to keep the pitch in perspective. To learn more about what literary agents are looking for, check out “We Mean Business: Agents Who Want to Read Your Work” in the latest issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.
Two hundred years ago today, Jane Austen died at age forty-one from still-unknown causes. In honor of the famed novelist, the Royal Mint is printing a new £10 note and £2 coin featuring the author’s portrait. (BBC News)
Meanwhile, at the Atlantic, Megan Garber considers how Austen’s work has contributed to the rise of the female gaze. “In her stories, women gaze upon men and decide for themselves whether or not the men are worth having.”
“I want every queer or trans person to know that just because we are under threat doesn’t mean we aren’t beautiful and magical. Coral reefs are beautiful. Grey wolves are beautiful. Icebergs are beautiful. Big blue mailboxes. Cursive. We are in good company.” Poet Oliver Baez Bendorf talks to Kaveh Akbar about his work and traveling around the country in a “Poetry Wagon.” (Divedapper)
Flatiron Books announced that it will publish Joe Biden’s memoir, Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose, in November. The publisher acquired the book, which will cover the year after Biden’s son Beau died of brain cancer, in April. (New York Times)
“Does the blogging crowd have more wisdom than the panel? Can we come up with a more interesting shortlist than the judges? Can we pick a better winner?” Nominations for the Guardian’s annual “Not the Booker” prize are open until July 30. Readers nominate and select the shortlist for the non-monetary prize.
Jia Tolentino spends a day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City retracing the steps of Claudia and Jamie, the heroes of E. L. Konigsburg’s classic children’s novel, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. (New Yorker)
At BookRiot, Sharanya Sharma asks: How do you decide what book to read next? Do you make a dent in your to-be-read stack or do you follow your whim?
