Will social media and aggregated preferences sweep away book reviewing and literary culture? There’s nothing new about the death of literatureThe writer Caleb Crain is unhappy about “the intrusion of counting into the life of literature”. He believes that big data and predictive-taste algorithms are cutting humans “out of the loop”, and that social media are undermining our faith in “the mental states of other people” when those inner states aren’t acknowledged in tweets and likes. It seems we are mired in “a new kind of disenchantment”, he says, which is devolving our sense of literary merit. As big data blurs personal opinion into preference aggregates, and as Twitter-propelled article-surfing destroys reviewing communities and the authority of critics alike, Crain contends, we have no choice but to “declare war on counting”. So that, you know, “literature will survive”. Related: Computer says no: Amazon uses AI to combat fake reviews Bad criticism in public is a nuisance. Does it spell the end of days? Hardly [S]uddenly the cosmos seems like one vast plan after all, patterned in such a way that the novel you’re reading at bedtime connects to your astronomy lecture, connects to what you heard on NPR, connects to what your friend discusses in the cafeteria at lunch – and then briefly it’s as if the lid has come off the world, as if the world were a dollhouse, and you can glimpse what it would be like to see it whole, from above – a vertiginous magnificence. Continue... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2015-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The leaves are amassing, the skeletons are out, and enormous bags of candy fill the grocery store aisles and threaten to spill their chocolates right into your mouth, through absolutely no fault of your own. Yep, it’s officially spooky season. But if you still need some help getting into the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-23 16:13:33 UTC ]
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The Lviv BookForum was vibrant this year, but still there is the backdrop of conflict and the need to find a place for storytellingLast year’s Lviv BookForum, a literary festival in the elegant western Ukrainian city, was mostly an online affair, held in a basement lecture theatre that might... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-10-21 05:00:38 UTC ]
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From her Louisiana roots to the quasi-imprisonment of her conservatorship, Britney Spears' 'The Woman in Me' paints the pop star's life as a Victorian nightmare. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-10-20 20:46:28 UTC ]
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This letter was originally published by ArabLit. The shocking and tragic events that began on October 7th and are ongoing today have had repercussions all over the globe, including within the publishing world. Award-winning Palestinian author Adania Shibli, who was a finalist for the 2020... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-17 09:05:58 UTC ]
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It would make sense that any history would begin at Stillwater Prison, where so much of the story and mythology of prison in Minnesota also begins. It is where Cole Younger of the famous James-Younger gang did their time, and where they spent their own money to start the Prison Mirror, the... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2023-10-16 11:00:00 UTC ]
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In this week’s Dispatches from The Secret Library, Dr Oliver Tearle reviews John Plotz’s personal reading of a fantasy classic by Ursula K. Le Guin The American author Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018) is widely regarded as one of the finest authors of what is broadly termed ‘speculative fiction’.... Continue reading at Interesting Literature
[ Interesting Literature | 2023-10-13 14:00:53 UTC ]
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Bryan Washington’s Family Meal, Mary Gabriel’s Madonna: A Rebel Life, Jhumpa Lahiri’s Roman Stories, andWerner Herzog’s Every Man for Himself and God Against All all feature among the Best Reviewed Books of the Week. Brought to you by Book Marks, Lit Hub’s book review aggregator. * Fiction 1.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-13 11:00:52 UTC ]
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The seminal DIY catalogs, journals, and magazines printed by the techno-hippie Whole Earth publishing house are finally available online in digital form, all for free. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2023-10-13 10:00:00 UTC ]
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An author explains how these two qualities are key to her literary success—and how they can help other writers sustain long and fruitful careers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Star Trek: Prodigy has found a new streaming home with Netflix, after being both canceled by Paramount+ and completely deleted from the platform back in June. Not only will Netflix air the previously-released 20-episode first season later this year, but it’s also putting... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-10-11 18:30:15 UTC ]
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A new collection of her novels and stories is a showcase for a science fiction pioneer. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-10-08 09:00:34 UTC ]
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Welcome to the ninth edition of Star Watch, our annual program dedicated to recognizing and honoring rising talent in the publishing and bookselling businesses. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
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It has been a remarkable ride for Madison Jacobs, who ascended to associate publisher at the Crown Publishing Group in just five years, and is the 2023 PW Star Watch Superstar. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In his fond memoir “Making It So,” the actor traces the path from the working class to the Shakespearean stage to “Star Trek” superstardom. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-10-03 09:00:17 UTC ]
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In his memoir “The Controversialist,” Martin Peretz reflects on his long tenure as publisher and editor of The New Republic. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-10-02 14:15:47 UTC ]
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Lydia Davis’ new collection Our Strangers, is available now from Bookshop Editions, so we asked her a few questions about her writing, reading, and more. How do you tackle writer’s block? I don’t really have writer’s block anymore. When I first started out, I certainly did just sit there... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-02 09:00:46 UTC ]
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No one emerges with much credit in Wolff’s second study of Rupert Murdoch and his family – a gossipy story of power and greed peppered with endless layers of psychological insightFifteen years ago, Michael Wolff wrote a study of Rupert Murdoch entitled The Man Who Owns the News. It benefited... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-10-02 06:00:06 UTC ]
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The Fire and Fury author returns with a typically readable account of the declining years of a rightwing media behemothIn September, Rupert Murdoch ceded direct control of Fox and News Corp to Lachlan Murdoch, his oldest son. At 92, Rupert became chairman emeritus. He is off the stage but... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-10-01 06:00:36 UTC ]
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“Collision of Power,” Martin Baron’s memoir of his tenure as the paper’s executive editor, is a gripping chronicle of politics and journalism in a period of instability for both. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-09-30 09:00:50 UTC ]
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Equal parts Terminator, The Golden Child and The Matrix prequel, The Creator is yet another sci-fi epic about a war between humans and AI, one told by someone who just can't shut up about their time backpacking across Asia. Director Gareth Edwards clearly understands the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-09-29 17:30:21 UTC ]
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