After her latest novel, Lost Children Archive, won the British Rathbone Folio Prize, Valeria Luiselli spoke to Claudia Torrens at AP News about the importance of artists continuing to write during this uncertain time. “I think it is my duty, and the duty of every writer,” she says, “whether is a science-fiction writer, a journalist, a poet, each at their own pace and within their own capacities, to document this moment.”
Valeria Luiselli on Writing Through the Pandemic
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A Lot o’ Duffers
Nobody wants to be a Hufflepuff! Over at The Atlantic, David Sims defends the oft-maligned Harry Potter house for their egalitarian ethos and general goodness. At The Millions, Michelle Dean’s essay about the value of J.K. Rowling’s Potter series will have you wanting to give them a re-read.
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E-Books and Paperbacks
As The New York Times reports, the rise of e-books has quickened the release of paperbacks. You used to have to wait a year for paperbacks to hit the shelves; now it’s often half that.
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Twitter Fiction
“I rather like the idea of just using a few brushstrokes to create a whole world. And, of course, with Twitter you do that, you can tell a very big story in a few lines.” Books and Arts Daily talks with Alexander McCall Smith about the new art of Twitter fiction. Pair with the full text of David Mitchell‘s Twitter story “The Right Sort,” exclusively on The Millions.
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“Music and Memory” Playlists
Granta asks past contributors for short playlists of songs on the theme of memory. Last week features selections by Aimee Bender, Isobel Dixon, and Adam Mars-Jones; weeks past include playlists from Jeffrey Eugenides, Lorrie Moore, and Wells Tower.
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Danticat’s Definition
Edwidge Danticat gives us one of the best definitions of the short story in an interview with Kima Jones at The Rumpus. “The short story is like an exquisite painting and you might, when looking at this painting, be wondering what came before or after, but you are fully absorbed in what you’re seeing.” They also discuss Danticat’s novel Claire of the Sea Light, Haitian and Dominican relations, and giving yourself permission to tell the truth. To find out what Danticat has been reading, see her 2013 Year in Reading.