This year is all about #readwomen2014 and #weneeddiversebooks. Faint Promise of Rain, the debut novel from Anjali Mittar Duva, satisfies all these criteria. The book is just out from SheWrites press and is set in the turbulent, caste-driven setting of the Mughal empire. Read an excerpt over at Bloom.
Raining Granduer
Mister Orhanium’s Wonder Emporium
Orhan Pamuk’s Museum of Innocence (named after his most recent novel of the same name) will open this week in Istanbul’s Çukurcuma neighborhood. The museum consists of hundreds of objects “collected” by a fictional character in the eponymous book.
Very Short Story Contest
Want a chance to win $200 and a shot at glory? Consider entering The Coffin Factory’s “Very Short Story Contest.” The deadline is August 15th.
Graph Lit
Madame Bovary as a pie graph. Underworld as a pie graph. Graphing Jane Austen.
Even the Editors Get Rejected
Perhaps someone should compile a Salon des Refusés of Poetry Magazine‘s rejected poets.
Write Fast
Tony Tulathimutte offers advice on lowering word count: Merge scenes, murder characters, quit writing altogether: “merge scenes, murder characters, ‘start as close to the end as possible’ (Kurt Vonnegut), quit writing altogether.” Pair with this Millions piece on writing slowly and by hand.
Watch me spit, classic lit
Based on a recent Jay-Z and Kanye West joint, La Shea Delaney and Annabelle Quezada bring you the addictive track “B*tches in Bookstores.” This all despite West being a confirmed, even proud, non-reader.