The Once Over Ivar Ivask John Ciardi, Giuseppe Ungaretti, Luciano Rebay, and Ivar Ivask after presentation of the award certificate, Norman, Oklahoma, March 14, 1970 / Photo by Jim Lucas Today (June 1) marks the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Giuseppe Ungaretti (1888–1970), the legendary Italian poet who traveled to the University of Oklahoma in March 1970 to be fêted as the very first laureate of what would come to be known as the Neustadt Prize. The following recap by Ivar Ivask, then-editor of Books Abroad and the visionary behind the prize, will be reprinted in Dispatches from the Republic of Letters: Fifty Years of the Neustadt International Prize for Literature, forthcoming from Deep Vellum Publishing in October. The anthology, edited by WLT’s current editor in chief, Daniel Simon, gathers the acceptance speeches by the first twenty-five laureates of the prize along with tributes by the jurors who nominated them. Balugina da un faroVerso cui va tranquilloIl vecchio capitano. G.U. Vacationing amidst the solitary Finnish woods and lakes, I am trying to order my impressions of the dramatic events that occurred in connection with Giuseppe Ungaretti between 7 February and 4 June of this year [1970], and in which I was to a certain degree involved. True, I had very briefly met the Italian poet on 17 April 1969 after his highly successful reading at the Poetry Center in New York, where he was presented by Professor Luciano... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2020-06-01 15:51:20 UTC ]
Book Club, an indie on Manhattan's Lower East Side, was only open for a few months before the pandemic hit. Since then, its owners have gotten creative, and are raising the store’s profile. Here's how. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-10-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Well, beautiful might not exactly be the word—perhaps disquietingly arresting? Chinese architecture firm x+living seems to be channeling the synaptic afterimages of Borges’s brain in their dizzying design for a bookstore in the city of Dujiangyan, in the southwest of China. The almost manic use... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-09-23 13:51:18 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Take a tour of an independent bookstore and community hub, Book Revue, the largest independent bookstore on Long Island. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-09-23 10:38:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Last but certainly not least: it’s the time for fiction! The National Book Foundation has announced the ten books contending for this year’s National Book Award for Fiction. The award, created in 1950, is the most prestigious literary prize in the United States, rewarding bold and cogent... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-09-18 14:15:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Today, the National Book Foundation announced the longlist for the 2020 National Book Award for Nonfiction. The National Book Awards, created in 1950, is the most prestigious literary prize in the United States, rewarding quality and cogent writing. This year’s longlist features a mix of debut... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-09-17 19:15:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Australia has spoken, and J.K. Rowling is out. Rabble Books & Games in Maylands, Australia, said earlier this week that the store would stop stocking her books due to this, this, or this, all of which, it’s not so wild to presume, have already impacted her book sales. “We are always trying... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-09-17 19:06:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this
And now, it’s the time for the poets! Today, the National Book Foundation announced the longlist for the 2020 National Book Award for Poetry. The National Book Awards, created in 1950, is the most prestigious literary prize in the United States, rewarding bold and cogent writing. According to... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-09-17 14:15:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this
‘Tis the season for book awards! Today, the National Book Foundation announced the longlist for the 2020 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. The National Book Awards, created in 1950, is the most prestigious literary prize in the United States, rewarding quality and cogent... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-09-16 14:15:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Beloved L.A. bookstores like Diesel are turning to fundraising platforms to survive the financial blows dealt by COVID-19. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-09-14 20:54:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Ahead of a Chevalier's bookstore talk with Bradley Whitford, the "Handmaid's Tale" author talks about Ann Dowd, Zoom-worthy tops, dystopia and elections. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-09-14 14:00:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this
No single event has wiped out more bookselling jobs in the modern era than the Covid-19 pandemic. Few booksellers have any job protections—that is, unless they have a union. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-09-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The Barnes and Noble bookstore at 601 E. Pratt St. at Baltimore's Inner Harbor will close Saturday, according to a sign posted at the location. Continue reading at Baltimore Sun
[ Baltimore Sun | 2020-08-25 17:48:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this
A look back at the history of the 100-year-old Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-08-21 10:37:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Timing is everything, but during the pandemic, it largely hasn’t been on the side of businesses. So I was recently surprised to see The Strand, whose iconic storefront in Union Square attracts thousands of visitors a year, opening a new branch in my neighborhood last month—and in a space where,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-08-12 19:56:27 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Beloved NYC bookstore Bluestockings—long a fixture on the Lower East Side—has found a new home. This will come as a relief to downtown book-lovers who worried the iconic feminist bookstore was closing for good due to both pandemic woes and the threat of increased rent (in a pandemic 😬). After a... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-08-10 15:01:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this
A Hong Kong bookseller has recreated his shop in Taipei, and it has become a symbol of Taiwan’s vibrant democracy. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-08-09 07:00:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Yesterday I stopped in at my local bookstore in London. It’s a small shop, but a good one, and seeing its doors open again was like hearing an ice-cream truck from a block away as a kid. I walked straight into traffic to cross the street to get there. Inside the reality of our time […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-08-06 08:49:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this
I know that fingers can’t “plod,” but that is what they are doing now, delivering upsetting news that encapsulates this shitty year. As Hong Kong teeters on the edge of a serious coronavirus outbreak and democratic institutions continue losing a war of attrition with the Chinese government, the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-07-29 18:53:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
As a child, Asha Grant didn't know where to find books about people who looked like her. Next year she'll open that place, the Salt Eaters, in Inglewood. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-07-23 14:00:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The owners of Greenlight Bookstore, which has two Brooklyn locations, came forward this week to take responsibility for “negative experiences of Black customers and employees in our stores” with a commitment to improving. In an open letter published Wednesday, co-owners Rebecca Fitting and... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-07-10 16:24:01 UTC ]
More news stories like this