Amazon just picked its 2011 “Best Books of the Year So Far.”
Best Books ‘So Far’
Staying Sharp
“There tends to be this idea that every piece and every assignment and every gig is always something speaking from the soul. We think that about great writers, that they’re incapable of doing hackwork.” The Rumpus interviewed Michelle Dean about women writers, the research process, and her forthcoming book, Sharp: The Women Who Made an Art of Having an Opinion. Pair with: Dean’s 2016 Year in Reading entry.
The International Scramble for a Nobel Laureate’s Work
Booksellers—both large and small—are struggling to stock books by Abdulrazak Gurnah, after he was awarded the Nobel Prize.
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Who Runs The World? Bekojians!
Town of Runners is a new documentary about running coach Sentayehu Eshetu, the mastermind responsible for one rural Ethiopian town’s eight Olympic runners. New Yorkers can catch screenings at the Tribeca Film Festival this month.
The Childhood Writing of the Brontë Sisters
Mel Sherwood takes a closer look at the first writing by the Brontë sisters, whose literary talents were apparent from an early age.
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Writing for Tumblr
On Friday, Tumblr rolled out its new “highlighted post” feature. The move is a new way to monetize the site’s content, but it’s not the only new initiative taken up by the site. As of last week, two writers have been hired by the Tumblr staff to document, well, Tumblr. (And speaking of all of this, you should totally check out my list of the best literary Tumblrs.)
The Big Sleep
Does getting up early make you a better writer? Not necessarily according to Maria Popova’s infographic of authors’ wake up times paired with their overall productivity (books published and awards won). The findings: Writers who sleep in write more but win fewer awards than early birds. Our conclusion: Just get up whenever you want.
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Fire Good…But Also Bad
I’m loving these Time Travel posters from 826LA’s Echo Park Time Travel Mart. (via).
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