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:
Washington, D.C., has been named the most well-read city in America, according to USA Today. But in a startling development, current day D.C. would only have ranked seventh on the 2004 list; as a nation we're reading less and less.
An "extraordinary" hand-written manuscript of poetry from Poet in New York by Federico García Lorca has been found in the Library of Congress music division, of all places. (Guardian)
On the same day Donald Rumsfeld's memoir hits bookshelves next month, a "darkly satirical novel" titled Donald, which explores the fictional kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment of the former secretary of defense, among other things, will be released by McSweeney's. (Sydney Morning Herald)
A British teacher is facing an employment tribunal today after being fired for publishing "a racy novel about her pupils," despite protests from said pupils and their parents at her dismissal. (Independent)
Brazilian author Paulo Coelho reports that all of his books have been banned in Iran, including The Alchemist, one of the best-selling books of all time. The author is asking for support to fight the ban and, according to the Guardian, is making all his books available for free in Farsi on the Internet.
That adaptation of The Great Gatsby starring Leo DiCaprio we've been hearing about? According to Jacket Copy, it may be filmed in 3-D.
Didn't make it to the Consumer Electronics Show this year? Publishers Weekly has a roundup of all the cool e-readers and tablets they saw at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Who is the most important contemporary fiction writer? Huffington Post asked Ha Jin, Francine Prose, Mona Simpson, and a host of other famous authors for their pick.
