Is “literary” fiction just a product of clever marketing? Elizabeth Edmondson thinks it is. At The Guardian, she argues that classically literary authors like Jane Austen had no idea they were writing Literature — posterity classified their work as such later on. Her essay dovetails nicely with our own Edan Lepucki’s argument that literature is a genre.
Pulp and Not
“Bad Neil Gaiman”
Recommended watching: Neil Gaiman reads "bad Neil Gaiman" stories.
●
●
Book Decor
Will books in white wrappers become this year's deer head? At The New York Times: Physical books find new life as design objects.
●
●
Neuroscience and Creativity
Over at Bloom, Dr. Francine Toder—a retired psychotherapist and author of The Vintage Years, who learned to play the cello in her 60s—writes about the neuroscience studies that support creative blooming in later life. Check out also this excerpt from The Vintage Years.
●
●
William Kelley, a Lost Literary Giant
"I didn’t know who William Kelley was when I found that book but, like millions of Americans, I knew a term he is credited with first committing to print. 'If You’re Woke, You Dig It' read the headline of a 1962 Op-Ed that Kelley published in the New York Times, in which he pointed out that much of what passed for “beatnik” slang (“dig,” “chick,” “cool”) originated with African-Americans." Are you familiar with William Kelley? Let Kathryn Schulz be your guide on this historical literary adventure as she discovers an immensely influential writer whom most of us have never heard mentioned.
Punch Back with Books
"If you have a story to tell the world, please consider improving your craft and seriously pursuing publication. Your voice matters; add it to the narrative." A list of "bookish ways to fight the good fight" from BookRiot.
6 Book Titles That Will Blow Your Mind!
"7 Awesome Ways Barnyard Animals Are Like Communism." From McSweeneys, great literature retitled to boost website traffic.