Kirkus Reviews is launching a new literary prize this year with a hefty purse and an even more eye-catching process. Instead of relying on publishers or judges for a longlist, they’ll automatically nominate any book that wins a Kirkus Star—about 10 percent of those reviewed—and award three annual prizes of $50,000 to the best fiction, nonfiction, and young readers’ literature. But the big news is that self-published books will also be eligible.
Kirkus Announces New Prizes
“Publish for readers, not authors.”
OR Books recently announced a forthcoming book from Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Meanwhile, OR’s publisher, Colin Robinson, shares ten ways to “save the publishing industry.”
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Insert Tittle Here
Did you know that the dot over an "i" or "j" is called a "tittle"? Buzzfeed's got a list including that, and 24 other everyday things you never knew had names.
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A Lust for Lists
"Why do we lust for lists?" Sandra M. Gilbert may not have an answer, but she does have a response to all those "100 Best American Novels" lists (and a list of her own). The Millions has a few lists too, of course - be sure to check out Janet Potter's "28 Books You Should Read If You Want To."
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Zadie Smith on The Social Network
“Why Facebook? Why this format?... The striking thing about the real Zuckerberg, in video and in print, is the relative banality of his ideas concerning the ‘Why’ of Facebook. He uses the word ‘connect’ as believers use the word ‘Jesus,’ as if it were sacred in and of itself...” Zadie Smith considers “Generation Why” and The Social Network at the New York Review of Books. Our own review of The Social Network by Sonya Chung can be found here.
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The Old Man and the Fee
The descendants of Ernest Hemingway's famous cats have now become the attempted subject of federal regulation.
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Yankee Spinach Foxtrot
Wilco appeared in a Popeye comic strip, and they also released an animated music video featuring the sailor, Olive Oyl, and Bluto.