Thanks to Stephen Elliot‘s Letters in the Mail project, LARB senior editor Matthew Specktor finds himself admiring the gorgeous handwriting of strangers, feeling tickled and gobsmacked, and reflecting on letter writing as something “beautifully useless to do.”
Dear Matthew Specktor
Strange Tomes
The contents of the Warburg Library suggest it was conceived in a fairy tale. As Adam Gopnik describes it, the shelves of the quirky London establishment include things like medieval astrology tomes and a section on “The Evil Eye.” Yet despite its notoriety, the University of London filed a lawsuit against it last year, as part of a move to incorporate the Warburg into its greater library. In the latest New Yorker, an essay on the controversial landmark.
“I have a master’s degree in poetry.”
Most actors don't go on The Tonight Show to promote literature, but leave it to James Franco to be the first to brag about getting his poetry M.F.A. to Jimmy Fallon. He discussed his new book, Directing Herbert White, and his mentor Frank Bidart. For more on the Bidart/Franco friendship, check out our own Janet Potter's recap of attending an event featuring the two writers.
Disaster!
As part of their ongoing effort to steer folks away from bad journalism, the folks at The Morning News are running a series on reading news wisely. This week, Brendan Fitzgerald takes a look at misleading headlines, urging readers to “let headlines pique your curiosity, but be sure journalists deliver.”
Medi Marijuana Reduces Fatalities
Okay, let's just admit that this is an interesting piece of cultural news: a new study has shown that legalizing medical marijuana sales in various states over the last two decades has led to a nearly 10 percent drop in traffic fatalities.
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Miami in Literature
Cristina García, author of Dreaming in Cuban, sits down for an interview about Miami's place in literature. This year, Miami's enjoyed the literary spotlight quite a bit: at the National Book Awards ceremony, Books & Books proprietor Mitchell Kaplan took home the Literarian Award. Likewise, the Miami Book Fair International wrapped up another successful year on November 18th.
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Preview of It Chooses You
To celebrate the printing of Miranda July's It Chooses You in paperback McSweeney's is offering a free excerpt from the book. Also see our brief review of It Chooses You and the excellent Onion article wondering what July's whole "thing" is, anyways.
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The Ultimate Bestseller
This week in book-related infographics: Waterstones has put together an illustrated formula for the ultimate bestseller, "a thriller tale of crime, bondage and wizardry."
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