America’s Public Libraries Reflect the Systematic Failures and Social Inequality of Our Country

Growing up, the library was not just Amanda Oliver’s favorite place but also her “first beloved destination, first embodied center… it was absolutely sacred.” However, soon after Oliver began her career as a librarian at a Title I school and then in the D.C. public library system, she witnessed how systemic racism, income inequality, the […] The post America’s Public Libraries Reflect the Systematic Failures and Social Inequality of Our Country appeared first on Electric Literature. Continue reading at 'Electric Literature'

[ Electric Literature | 2023-01-05 12:00:00 UTC ]

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12 Poems and Short Stories by Black Writers to Read For Free Online

Every week, our weekly magazine The Commuter publishes a new work of flash fiction, poetry, and graphic narrative. For Black History Month, we’re looking to the archives for some of our favorite poetry and stories by Black writers, all available to read for free online. From Tara Campbell’s... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-02-21 12:05:00 UTC ]
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Erin Steele Isn’t Trying to Look Good in Her Memoir

Erin Steele’s memoir, Sunrise Over Half-Built Houses: Love, Longing and Addiction in Suburbia, chronicles the life of an isolated, self-conscious Canadian teenager growing up in middle-class British Columbia to loving parents who are simultaneously present and absent. As young Erin grapples with... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-02-21 12:00:00 UTC ]
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New Bills in Iowa Threaten to Tighten Obscenity Provisions for Libraries

House File 274 would repeal a section of the Iowa Code that addresses obscenity exemptions for public libraries and educational institutions, while Senate File 347 proposes steep fines for sharing allegedly obscene work with minors. American Library Association president-elect Sam Helmick called... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-02-20 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The Magic of Finding Yourself in “The In-Between Bookstore”

Edward Underhill didn’t plan on having his debut adult fiction book, The In-Between Bookstore, featuring a trans main character, come out six days before the Trump inauguration, but it’s kind of perfect timing. Especially since the book features a time slip, where Darby Madden meets his younger... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-02-17 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Exclusive Cover Reveal: “Both/And” by Denne Michele Norris

Electric Literature is pleased to reveal the cover of Both/And: Essays by Trans and Gender Nonconforming Writers of Color, edited by Denne Michele Norris, which will be published by HarperOne on August 12, 2025. You can pre-order your copy here. From Denne Michele Norris and Electric Literature... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-02-13 12:30:00 UTC ]
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Why Doesn’t BookTok Think Plot Is Hot?

Last year, burned out from going straight into a full-time lectureship after a pandemic PhD, I needed the kind of intellectual rest that only one thing brings: re-reading an old favorite novel.  For me, that was Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels Trilogy, the fantasy series that got me through my... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-02-11 12:10:00 UTC ]
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Is the Book You’re Reading Literary or Genre Fiction? A 100% Definitive Guide

1. Check the cover for clues. Literary fiction will have the title in Helvetica along with amorphous shapes in shades of that year’s Pantone color.  Genre fiction will have a little cutout showing the face of either a wizard or a rakish duke. It opens to reveal the whole picture, and they’re... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-02-07 12:15:00 UTC ]
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7 Captivating Books About Life on a Farm

A good book that’s set on a farm can immerse you in an historical epoch, make you laugh until your sides hurt, inspire you to fight for a just cause, or sob over an unjust death. And it can so engross you that by the time you turn the last page, you might be bubbling […] The post 7 Captivating... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-02-06 12:05:00 UTC ]
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In “The Edge of Water,” A Prophecy Unravels a Nigerian Family’s Pursuit of the American Dream

Olufunke Grace Bankole’s debut novel The Edge of Water opens with a prophecy: “A storm is coming.” The order of things, the Iyanifa tells us, will be disrupted by a soul who defies her fate.  What follows is the story of three generations of Nigerian and Nigerian American women: Esther, who... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-02-04 12:00:00 UTC ]
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A Literary Crossword for Book People

In my opinion, most crossword puzzles have too many boring trivia about sports, obscure historical events, and science questions (seriously, who cares how many molecules are in an atom?). So, we decided to take out the bits we didn’t like to create a crossword puzzle tailored for those of us... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-01-31 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Aria Aber on Finding Transcendence in Berlin’s Underground Scene

Good Girl—the debut novel by award-winning poet Aria Aber—follows nineteen-year-old Nila as she becomes charmed in a Berlin club and falls manically in love with Marlowe, an older brooding American writer. Raised by Afghan refugees, Nila’s childhood remains haunted by the shadows of exile while... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-01-24 12:00:00 UTC ]
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15 Small Press Books You Should Be Reading This Winter

Literature often captures the moments between life’s major plot points—the quiet yet profound spaces where we question choices, find love, navigate loss, and search for meaning. The books featured here, published by small presses, are rich in their ability to reflect the textured understanding... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-01-17 12:05:00 UTC ]
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“Hopefully, we can sit together and discuss what we consider is appropriate”: Inside Two Years of Nonstop Hell for Alpena Public Library

Destruction of US public libraries may start with complaints over books, but that's not the end goal. Alpena Public Library is now the tool of those book banners and serves as a stark warning of what's happening nationwide. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2025-01-16 14:00:00 UTC ]
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New Research on Audiobook Circulation in US Libraries

The newly released 'Audiobooks and Public Libraries' report shows US libraries' community sizes playing a role in audio circulation. The post New Research on Audiobook Circulation in US Libraries appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2025-01-14 22:10:01 UTC ]
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Career on the brink, Adams doubles down on housing, mental health in 2025

As he kicks off a year that could see him jailed or booted from City Hall, and quite possibly both, Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday laid out an agenda for 2025 that doubled as a platform for his uphill re-election campaign.In his fourth State of the City address, Adams laid out plans that respond... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2025-01-09 18:44:42 UTC ]
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Why It’s Community Above All Else for Me

When I was 23, my best friend from college invited me to a networking mixer at the headquarters of a top publishing house in New York City. I was in graduate school at The New School at the time, and already working on the manuscript of what would become my first book, Born to Be […] The post... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-01-07 12:10:00 UTC ]
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8 Newsletters Demystifying the Publishing Industry 

The publishing industry can feel like an opaque, black box to aspiring authors, with countless gatekeepers—agents, editors, publicists, book buyers and more—shaping the process behind the scenes. Even established authors can find the sector confusing as they attempt to read the tea leaves behind... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-01-06 12:05:00 UTC ]
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Electric Literature’s Most Popular Articles of 2024

Never far from the pulse, a quick glance over Electric Lit’s most popular articles from this year will tell you a lot about what preoccupies our collective consciousness. Our most popular reading list features crime novels, suggesting a heightened level of intrigue when it comes to all things... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-12-31 12:05:00 UTC ]
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The Most Popular Books in US Public Libraries 2024

What were the most popular books in US public libraries in 2024? Here are the top titles according to over 40 lists shared across the country. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-12-27 13:30:00 UTC ]
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