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:
French presidential front-runner François Hollande made a gaffe recently in a campaign speech. In front of a crowd of twenty thousand, the candidate cited the words of Shakespeare, perhaps not realizing there's more than one author by that name. In fact, Hollande quoted Nicholas Shakespeare, the novelist and screenwriter whose book The Dancer Upstairs was made into a 2002 film by John Malkovich starring Javier Bardem. (Telegraph)
Melville House discusses Barnes & Noble's recent suggestion that the retail giant "might be willing to share data about book buyer behavior" with independent bookstores.
Author Tess Gallagher, the late Raymond Carver's widow, has filed a lawsuit against Skyhorse Publishing over the copyright of Carver Country: The World of Raymond Carver. According to Publishers Weekly, "the suit claims the book has unauthorized excerpts and photos."
The Los Angeles Times profiles a new publishing venture by online literary magazine the Rumpus: Letters in the Mail. For a five dollar fee, subscribers receive letters via post from authors and celebrities such as Stephen Elliott, Dave Eggers, Jonathan Ames, and Margaret Cho.
Writer Radhika Jones explains why she loves reading Charles Dickens, and over the next two weeks will reveal her ten favorite novels from the author of Great Expectations, as well as her favorite Dickens screen adaptations. (Time)
In light of New York City's Mayor Bloomberg recently discussing he enjoyed an "occasional spy novel," the New York Times remembers another New York City mayor from an earlier century, William J. Gaynor, who listed Euclid, Shakespeare, Homer, Milton, Cervantes, and Plutarch as having the greatest effect on his life.
Flavorwire tracked down an international collection of "awesome literary street art."
A new show, Stacked Up, has successfully made the transition from web series to television. The segments feature authors in their home libraries discussing favorite books. In this episode, Rin Tin Tin author Susan Orlean "sings Faulkner's praises and reveals her penchant for books about chickens and dogs."
