ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

WORDS

Why Reading Was Intended To Be Done Out Loud

Until approximately the tenth century, when the practice of silent reading expanded thanks to the invention of punctuation, reading was synonymous with reading aloud. Silent reading was terribly strange, and, frankly, missed the point of sharing words to entertain, educate, and bond. - The Atlantic

No One Is Going To Buy Your Book

The DOJ’s lawyer collected data on 58,000 titles published in a year and discovered that 90 percent of them sold fewer than 2,000 copies and 50 percent sold less than a dozen copies. - The Elysian

The Onion Has Been Sold To A Very Apt Buyer

"Chicago-based firm Global Tetrahedron — which shares a name with a mock corporation that served as a long-running gag on the satirical news site and was featured in its staffers’ 1999 book Our Dumb Century — has purchased The Onion (from) G/O Media." - HuffPost

The Recycle Wars: When Literature Begets Literature

The rewriting of old books is hardly a new practice, though it’s one that critics often like to complain about. Doesn’t anyone have an original idea? Can’t we just leave the classics alone? - The New York Times

How Dallas Turned Into A Literary Hot Spot

"Today Dallas is home to one of the most dynamic, international literary scenes in the country, inspired in many ways by the infectious, D.I.Y. energy of Deep Vellum, now one of the country’s largest publishers of translated literature, and (independent bookstore) Wild Detectives." - The New York Times

As Florida And Texas Ban Books From Schools And Libraries, Minnesota And Maryland Are Banning Book Bans

"Minnesota is one of several Democratic-leaning states where lawmakers are now pursuing bans on book bans. The Washington and Maryland legislatures have passed them this year; Illinois did so last year. It was a major flashpoint of Oregon’s short session, where legislation passed the Senate but died without a House vote." - AP

Denver Art Museum Is Refusing To Return Alaskan Native Artifacts To Alaskan Natives

"Delegates from the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska sought the return of five items, including a 170-year-old clan house partition. … One Tlingit and Haida cultural resource officer (said) that the Denver Art Museum was 'probably the worst museum' they had dealt with." - Alaska Public Media

On The Influence Of Small Magazines And Big Ideas

Another meaning of the word “magazine” is a store of munitions. My own addition to the arsenal of the free press, Standpoint, was founded in 2008. I was editor for just over a decade, during which we made the magazine essential reading across the political and cultural spectrum. - The Critic

Publishers Have Found An Interesting Way To Fight Children’s Book Bans

Publishers, writers, and progressive organizations across the children’s book industry aren’t letting the book bans hold them back. Instead, they’re turning the bans into a rallying cry to publish even more diverse characters and points of view. - Fast Company

PEN America Gives Up, Cancels Its 2024 Literary Awards

"Facing widespread unhappiness over its response to the Israel-Hamas war, the writers’ group PEN America has called off its annual awards ceremony. Dozens of nominees had dropped out of the event, which was to have taken place next week." - AP

Amazon Is Clogged With Fake Books. How Does This Happen?

Many of them gleefully share misinformation or repackage basic facts from WikiHow behind a title that’s been search-engine-optimized to hell and back again. Some of them even steal the names of well-established existing authors and masquerade as new releases from those writers. - Vox

The Critical Book Stanley Kubrick Blocked With Legal Threats Is Now, At Last, Going To Be Published

“His reaction to The Magic Eye showed Kubrick’s image-control obsessions taken to extremes. He didn’t just make edits – he erased the entire project.” But now, after the director's death, Neil Hornick's 55-year-old manuscript has been prepared for publication. - The Observer (UK)

The Tips And Tricks Of A 23-Year-Old Crossword-Solving Champion

The young speedster says, Ttraining your eye to move back and forth from clues to grid without losing your place, remembering clues when you can, really helps." - The Atlantic

The Very Dark Side Of The Rare Book World

That is, the side where some books are bound in human skin. - The New York Times

As ‘Ecofiction’ Hits Its First Official Decade, Here Are Some Of Its Best Examples

"Many readers are seeking fiction that addresses environmental issues but explores a successful paradigm shift: fiction that accurately addresses our current issues with intelligence and hope. The power of envisioning a certain future is that the vision enables one to see it as possible." - Reactor Mag

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