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:
“Perhaps adults relate to the overarching themes and allegories that fuel so many graphic interpretations of larger-than-life superheroes.” Writer Tara Betts considers the unexpected intersection of poetry and comics. (Ploughshares)
Speaking of poetry’s intersections, Frank O’Hara’s 1964 book Lunch Poems influenced Man Men creator Matthew Weiner’s creative vision for the acclaimed show. An audiobook of Weiner performing Lunch Poems is out today from Audible. (BookRiot)
An essay at Public Books examines how Dana Spiotta’s new novel, Innocents and Others, as well as recent feminist novels by Lauren Groff and Elena Ferrante, explore the problem of creative influence. “If men have viewed their creativity as self-generated and self-sufficient, then a feminist theory might imagine creativity as dispersed and relational, emerging through others as much as from the self.”
Tony Award–winning Hamilton performer Daveed Diggs talks about his involvement in the Oakland, California–based poetry slam organization Youth Speaks, and how poetry has influenced both his writing and performing life. (Washington Post)
At Kenyon Review, Israeli writer Ayelet Tsabari discusses Jewish identity and themes relating to diaspora in her debut short story collection, The Best Place on Earth.
Explore locations associated with William Shakespeare’s life, plays, and legacy with the Global Shakespeare Explorer, a collaborative and interactive map honoring the four-hundredth anniversary of the Bard’s death. (Expedia)
If you are interested in common trends and factors that might determine whether or not a book becomes a best-seller, take a look at this infographic from Expert Editor.
The Academy Award–winning 1959 film Ben-Hur, based on Lew Wallace’s Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, is getting a reboot this summer. Meanwhile, an updated version of the text, rewritten by Wallace’s great-great-granddaughter Carol Wallace, is being published today. The new version includes more significant roles for women. (Publishers Weekly)
