(Feature image: Main Branch, Tacoma Public Library, Tacoma, WA) Today is Library Snapshot Day! This day is celebrated in 38 states of the U.S. some time in the first half of each year, and for 2023 that day is today. But Library Snapshot Day is no April Fool’s joke: It is an engaging way to …
Reviewer Jeana Jorgensen Interviews Thomas Cirotteau, Coauthor of Lady Sapiens: Breaking Stereotypes about Prehistoric Women The book Lady Sapiens “corrects mistaken stereotypes about prehistory, asserting the primacy of women in past societies and honoring the foremothers who advanced civilization with their art, knowledge, and power,” writes reviewer Jeana Jorgensen. “In reality,” she notes, “early women …
What Are We Protecting Children from by Banning Books? “Reading the titles that have been challenged and removed from public-school libraries across the country.” I’ve lately given up on posting links to articles about censorship across the United States because they’re too numerous and, frankly, too depressing to keep up with. But this article by …
Women are now publishing more books than men—and it’s good for business “Women have gone from publishing just 18% of books in the 1960s to more than half today, driving up revenue and diversifying readership” Categories: Publishing, Writing The End of the English Major I looked at a different link about this same topic last …
Women’s History Month grew out of a weeklong commemoration by Jimmy Carter in 1980 “Years before it became a full month, there was Women’s History Week.” More on the history of Women’s History Month. Category: Et Cetera Don’t worry, Roald Dahl’s original texts will still be published after critics call new editions ‘absurd censorship’ Yet …
Roald Dahl’s books are nasty by nature – editing a word or two won’t make them nice A bit different aspect of censorship has been in the news lately: “An investigation by the Telegraph has revealed that hundreds of changes have been made to the most recent editions of Dahl’s books, published by Puffin (the …
What Do 10 Years of the New York Times Young Adult Bestseller Lists Say about YA? Because I don’t read a lot of YA literature, I tend not to report on it very often. Here Kelly Jensen, who has been writing about the YA book world for more than 15 years, examines whether the demographics …
The Defiance of Salman Rushdie “After a near-fatal stabbing—and decades of threats—the novelist speaks about writing as a death-defying act.” David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker, offers background on Salman Rushdie as well as news about the author’s life since he was attacked at a literary event last August 11. Category: Author News 8 …
No, I’m not going to rehash the issue of whether audiobooks “count.” As long as the audiobook you listen to is unabridged, it counts as having read the book, just as does reading an ebook. However, I recently listened to two audiobooks that reminded me that sometimes I prefer to listen and sometimes I prefer …
Audio or Print Book? Sometimes One, Sometimes the Other Read More »
Harlem: The Journey Uptown The February 1, 2023, daily newsletter from The New Yorker describes this article from 1981 as follows: Few neighborhoods in New York City—indeed, few neighborhoods anywhere—are as closely linked with a community as Harlem is with African Americans. In literature and music, fashion and film, the area has become synonymous with …
