WORDS

Has The Anecdotal Lede Outlived Its Journalistic Utility?

For many years, this tactic served us well, and it’s deeply embedded in the toolkits of generations of writers and editors. But I wonder if its time is quickly passing. - Second Rough Draft

When AI Can Write Like Me

That a machine might use my writing not only to learn about my subject matter, but also to analyze and ultimately mimic my authorial voice, points to a future that George Orwell envisioned with eerie prescience. - The Conversation

Trusted Book Publisher In Paris Is Forced Out By Right-Wing Owner; Over 100 Authors Are Following Him

“More than 100 writers have quit the historic French publishing house Grasset in protest at its billionaire owner, Vincent Bolloré, whose media empire has been accused of promoting reactionary and far-right ideas. … The protest was sparked by the departure of Grasset editor Olivier Nora, who had run the imprint for 26 years.” - The Guardian

An Autistic Man Wrote A Bestselling Book. Didn’t He?

"It is mysterious and confounding to see a severely autistic nonspeaker perform acts of scholarship and fiction writing if you don’t presume intelligence in a disabled person. I have been using the same green board since I was in middle school and I find the letters and colors very calming." - The Atlantic

British Government Approves Purchase Of Telegraph Newspaper

“Axel Springer’s planned £575 million takeover of Telegraph Media Group has been approved by the UK Government. It is still awaiting regulatory approval in Ireland and Austria (due to there being a lower threshold for competition concerns in those countries although there is no expectation of any impact there).” - Press Gazette (UK)

I Survived A Year Inside Stephen King’s Archives

This book is Caroline Bicks’s account of what happened when King gave her permission to spend a year in his archive, poring over the drafts of five of his most popular novels, including Pet Sematary, The Shining and Carrie. Bicks’s particular aim is to spot what she calls King’s “biblio‑magic” in action. - The Guardian

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Is Saved, Three Weeks Before It Was To Close

“The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, the nonprofit parent organization of The Baltimore Banner, reached an agreement with Block Communications to acquire the I, which was slated to shut down in May.” - Nieman Lab

Other Legacy U.S. Newspapers Which Have Gone Nonprofit

So far, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is the fourth large one (not including The Philadelphia Inquirer, which remains for-profit itself though it is owned by a nonprofit organization). - AP

LGBTQ Bookstores Had Been Slowly Disappearing For Years, Now There’s A New Generation Of Them.

“The number of LGBTQ+-focused bookstores in the U.S. has slowly but steadily increased over the past five years. While this new generation of booksellers all give a nod to their predecessors, they’ve also made a point of doing things differently.” - Publishers Weekly

A Professor Gets Besotted With His Chatbot

An English professor burns the midnight oil talking to Microsoft Copilot about Shakespeare, Dickinson, Hawthorne, and a play he’s been working on—and comes away deeply impressed by its literary insights. - Quillette

What Paramount Is Planning For Its New Publishing House

“The new imprint will develop new publishing content based on properties from Paramount’s various divisions, such as SpongeBob SquarePants, ... Star Trek, and Yellowstone, complementing the work of its licensed publishers. … The imprint will also allow the company to generate original intellectual properties with potential for extension into entertainment and experiences.” - Publishers Weekly

The Culture Of Comics Is Transforming

Our current age of comics is one in which comics can be consumed through global digital platforms like Marvel Unlimited, Webtoons, Shonen Jump and so on, all without readers and fans ever purchasing a paper copy. - The Conversation

Some People Think Straight Male Authors Aren’t Writing Enough Sex Scenes

“It is good that we know what to avoid, but we don’t really know what to do either. We’re uncomfortable, and so what we tend to do is decorously fade to black, and rejoin our characters when they are finished. The next day, if possible.” - The Guardian (UK)

The Writer Who Couldn’t Accept A Huge Prize Because It Came With So Many Publicity Obligations

Helen DeWitt’s life was simply too busy, and intense, for her to do what the $175,000 Windham-Campbell Writing Prize required, she says. - The New York Times

If They Aren’t Reading, Why Are We Making Fun Of Them?

Literary ridicule used to sting politicians into shame. Now they don't read books, don't care about cultural criticism, and certainly don't lose sleep over clever wordplay. Writers are shadowboxing with ghosts. — New York Review of Books

Our Free Newsletter

Join our 30,000 subscribers

Latest

Don't Miss