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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Can the Classic Road Trip Novel Survive the Climate Crisis?

Climate change is conspicuously absent from most realist, literary fiction set in the present day. Hurricanes, wildfires, floods, droughts and other natural disasters are part of our daily lives, yet they’re absent, save for brief mentions of a news clip for a college protest from much of our... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-03-04 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Exclusive Cover Reveal of “These Memories Do Not Belong to Us” by Yiming Ma

Electric Literature is pleased to reveal the cover of These Memories Do Not Belong to Us, the highly-anticipated debut novel by Yiming Ma, which will be published by Mariner Books in the US and McClelland & Stewart in Canada on August 12, 2025. You can pre-order here in US or here in Canada.... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-03-04 12:00:00 UTC ]
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New Iowa Bill Would Revoke Funding for Library Affiliation with the American Library Association

Iowa public libraries may lose access to state funds for being affiliated by the American Library Association under a new anti-library bill floated by state republicans. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2025-02-25 18:20:00 UTC ]
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Are Ohio Public Libraries on the Chopping Block?

The importance of documentation in an era of misinformation. Where and how the story of Ohio library budget cuts emerged and what is–and is not–true right now. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2025-02-25 14:30:00 UTC ]
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“No Offense” Reveals the Hidden Fees of Being Queer in a Straight World

On the dedication page of No Offense: A Memoir in Essays, Jackie Domenus writes, “To all the queer and trans folks who have bitten their tongues until they bled: this book is for you.” In this powerful and timely collection, Domenus defends and celebrates identity and love with an unflinching... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-02-24 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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