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Hundreds Of Authors Support Their Fellow Novelist

Lisa Ko “was subjected to weeks of harassment as well as a broader smear campaign in the media which resulted in a loss of professional opportunities,” and many of her fellow authors will not have it. - LitHub

We Need The Most Annoying Bennet Sister Now, More Than Ever

What would Jane Austen - who adored Lizzy - “have made of her modern readers’ more recent obsession with the middle Bennet sister, the plain and unremarkable Mary?” - The New York Times

People, Especially Boys And Men, Used To Make Friends While Playing Games

But now, “there are multiple somber YouTube video essays about the lack of conviviality in multiplayer lobbies, and most of them bear titles that gesture toward an elemental wound in the culture.” - Slate

Kids Are Seeing Cute, Friendly Robots In Media

Alarmingly, “these stories seem to be doing an inordinate amount of work to help children feel warm toward the technologies that increasingly dominate our lives.” - The New York Times

So Many People Are Taking Photos Of Movie Screens Right Now, But Why?

“When people post photos from movie theaters they are ostensibly doing it for their online communities, but they are ignoring the communal experience they are having at that very moment.” - The New York Times

As Awards Season Swings Into High Gear, Los Angeles Is Running Out Of Screening Rooms

“The bigger venues are so desirable that studios and distributors will put holds on them a year in advance, sometimes before they even know what films they’ll have.” - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo News)

The OED’s Word Of The Year Isn’t Very Cheery

At least, at the OED. "It’s been quite a journey for “brain rot,” which triumphed over a shortlist of contenders including 'lore,’ 'demure,' 'romantasy,' 'dynamic pricing' and 'slop.'" - The New York Times

The English Are Responsible For Wrecking The Planet, Says An Award-Winning Novelist

Amitav Ghosh says, “The planetary crisis, in the broadest sense, … has been brought about by a story: a story of endless profit, endless growth, of individualism” - and that story starts early in English-language literature. - Irish Times

Peggy Caserta, Who Wrote And Then Disavowed A Tell-All Book About Janis Joplin, Has Died At 84

Caserta and Joplin bonded over a pair of jeans. “The two became fast friends, occasional lovers and then dope-shooting comrades, even as their fortunes rose.” - The New York Times

This Major Pop Concert, Which Took Place In The Video Game World Of Fortnite, Had Some Plot Twists

“This one featured a cast of four different artists: Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Spice, and the late Juice WRLD. And it turned each one of the large lineup into a kaiju-sized performer.” It’s a game/movie/music mashup first - but it’s just life to the people playing Fortnite. - The Verge

Why Alfonso Cuaron Did A Harry Potter Movie, And Why He Didn’t Go For James Bond

The studio was shooting the Bond action sequences away from the rest of the film, and Cuarón felt weird about that: "I learned the lesson that some films I prefer to watch and not do.”  - Variety

How To Write For Kids

First, throw away the butterflies and rainbows, says Maggie O’Farrell. - The Guardian (UK)

It’s Never Too Late To Learn An Instrument

For one thing, it’s good for your brain. “Plenty of research shows that adults could benefit from playing music. Doing so is neuroprotective.” - The Atlantic

Bringing Fanny And Alexander To Life As An Opera

The TV series version of Fanny and Alexander is more than five hours long, but the opera (perhaps sadly) has to be shorter. “The key to their adaptation was to capture the look and feeling of the movie with efficiency, and in new ways." - The New York Times

Bringing A War Refugee’s Fairytale To Life

"The author was Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz, just 23 years old when his novel was published in 1938 and a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany. In 1935, he had made his way across Europe to reach Britain, where he was promptly classified as an 'enemy alien' and interned.” - The Observer (UK)

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