It’s been nearly three years since an unknown man last marked Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday by leaving three roses and cognac at Poe’s grave. Today is Poe’s birthday and “Poe fans are planning one last vigil this week before calling an end” to the decades-long tradition of watching the mystery mourner pay his respects. (via)
The End of the Poe Vigil
The Dungeon Master
Sam Lipsyte's short story on role-playing games, "The Dungeon Master," is up at the New Yorker: "The Dungeon Master has detention. We wait at his house by the county road. The Dungeon Master’s little brother Marco puts out corn chips and orange soda."
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Cultural Confusion
Over at Broadly, MariNaomi talks about heritage and her graphic memoir, Turning Japanese. Pair with Mia Nakaji Monnier’s Millions interview with the author.
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New Katherine Mansfield Story Found
While thumbing through the archives at King’s College, a graduate student uncovered four previously unknown stories by Katherine Mansfield.
Choosing Covers
It's not often that a major publisher listens to a new author when they request a specific painting be used for their book cover. But they listened to Naomi Jackson, and over at the Literary Hub she explains her choice of cover art for Star Side of Bird Hill and the Caribbean significance behind it.
Liars and Cheats
What happens when a Kickstarter campaign turns out to be a swindle?
Flavorwire’s Top 10 Bookstores in the United States
Flavorwire presents a list of its ten favorite bookstores in the United States and requests that you "buy something fer crissakes."
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The Dungeon Master’s Workshop
Junot Diaz, author of Pulitzer-winning The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, started his auspicious career in the most unlikely of imaginary places: crafting stories for his friends in the tabletop roleplay game Dungeons & Dragons.