“I could measure my progress with metrics like number of scabs collected, number of inches ollied,” writes Nick Courage, in his great piece about rediscovering skateboarding in his thirties. “There was an objective truth to the sport; unlike my writing, my powerslides were self-validating.”
“What’s it like to fall in your thirties?”
The Factchecker
A closer look at the unraveling of Jonah Lehrer.
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Following Oscar
“To translate the power of Tish and Fonny’s love to the screen in Baldwin’s image is a dream I’ve long held dear. Working alongside the Baldwin Estate, I’m excited to finally make that dream come true.” Oscar-winning Moonlight director Barry Jenkins is adapting James Baldwin's 1974 novel If Beale Street Could Talk for the screen, says The Hollywood Reporter. (He's also bringing Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad to visual life as well.)
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George Saunders II
Part 2 of a great interview with George Saunders at BOMBlog discussing new fiction, authenticity, and MFA programs. Read Part 1 here.
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All the Sad Young Literary Women
Are New York Times book reviewers biased toward writers who are “white and male and live in Brooklyn”? Chris Jackson at The Atlantic laments all the sad young literary women.
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What They Teach
For those who are out of the collegiate loop and are curious what’s being assigned in classrooms these days, The Literary Hub has compiled a fascinating list of books being taught by English professors at institutions across the country. Pair with these two related pieces from The Millions on the business of teaching creative writing and fifty-five thoughts on teaching English in public school.
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