It’s an age-old question for writers and thinkers: how do you quiet the noise of your thoughts? In Aeon Magazine, Tim Parks wonders if it’s even possible to silence internal monologues — and, if it is, whether that silence means losing sight of our identities. (Related: our own Mark O’Connell reviewed Parks’s latest book.)
Stopping the Voices
Rowling on “the Literati.”
Does The Silkworm, which came out last week, give readers insight into how its author, Robert Galbraith – er, J.K. Rowling – feels about the publishing community? Elizabeth Winkler takes a look.
Let’s Talk Poetry, Shall We?
Willard Spiegelman’s provocative essay in the VQR’s recent State of American Poetry issue, “Has Poetry Changed?” incited quite a few responses. One of the better rejoinders came from William Childress, whose response, “Is Free Verse Killing Poetry,” raises some excellent points. “Poetry needs readers, not writers,” writes Childress. “But how many poets read any poetry but their own?”
Part 3 of Murakami’s 1Q84 coming soon in Japan
Part Three of Haruki Murakami’s massive new novel 1Q84 will be released in April. The novel is expected to be released in English by Random House in Fall 2011. Check out our previous reporting on Murakami’s latest here.
Who Wants to be a Millionaire Poet?
There’s an oxymoron for you: “Rich Poet.” But the new fortunes of Emirati poet Saif Al Mansouri prove that with talent, grit, and a live television audience, truly anything is possible. The UAE show “Millionaire’s Poet,” in its sixth season, awarded $1.3 million (the Nobel Prize. for comparison, is $1.2 million) to winner Al Mansouri, and perhaps something even more valuable – a global audience of up to 70 million, actually tuning in.
Kindle Now Sells for $114 for Those Who Don’t Mind ‘Special Offers’
Amazon has just dropped the price on the Kindle yet again, but it comes with a big caveat. The Kindle can now be had for $114 if you select a version of the device that peppers you with special offers (Examples: $10 for $20 Amazon.com Gift Card; $6 for 6 Audible Books; etc). Before the purists out there go too crazy, it may be some consolation that these offers appear only on the home screen and screensaver; they don’t interrupt reading.