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 author of “How We Fight For Our Lives” explains why he left the Big Apple for the Midwest Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2019-10-22 19:00:00 UTC ]
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Margaret Wise Brown’s classic children’s book Goodnight Moon was published on this day in 1947. It’s widely beloved, well-reviewed, and much parodied, and also hated intensely by a serious few. You know where this is going—I compile at least one of these one-star reviews pieces a month, but I... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-09-03 08:50:11 UTC ]
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In a new research project, new books by men were found to receive 12% more broadsheet review coverage than those of their female counterparts. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Part of the same “Cities in Love” itinerary that previously included stops in Paris, New York and Rio, the wildly uneven anthology “Berlin, I Love You” exhibits telltale signs of jet lag. The format, like the others in the series, groups together intersecting stories directed by international... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Based on Errol Flynn’s own memoirs, this Australian action movie shows the Tasmanian actor as a real-life adventurer in the mold of the heroes he played on screen. But with its incoherent, episodic script, “In Like Flynn” lacks the worth of even a minor Flynn film. This silly swashbuckler finds... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-01-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In the wide world of online photo book services, Mixbook handily distinguishes itself as one of the best. One main reason is Mixbook’s smooth, easy-to-use web editor which makes it a pleasure to assemble your creation. The resulting photo book was also quite good. Colors popped, quality was... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2018-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Audience reactions to blockbusters are difficult to predict, but it’s unlikely anyone will come out of “Aquaman” asking “Is this all there is?” Not only does the new comic book superhero movie from the DC Extended Universe clock in at an over-extended 2 hours and 23 minutes, it throws everything... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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VideoPad Video Editor is an affordable, entry-level video editing application that’s particularly powerful for creators who want to publish their videos to YouTube or Facebook. It’s easy to use, and it makes the workflow of social publishing much easier than it is in some other apps.The social... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2017-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hundreds of damning verdicts on memoir of 2016 presidential race, posted within hours of publication, have been removed by the online booksellerHundreds of one-star reviews of Hillary Clinton’s memoir What Happened, which appeared online within hours of the 512-page book’s publication, have been... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-09-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The serialized story is part of Electric Literature's ongoing experiments with distributing literary works online, as well as an effort to grow its paying membership. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rupi Kaur’s first book, Milk and Honey, sold 1.4 million copieSOrdinarily, the illustration adorning the cover of a new book is not a big story, but such is the hype around the young Canadian poet Rupi Kaur that her plan to release the picture to her 1.3 million Instagram followers on 1 June is... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Founded in 1957 by Grove publisher Barney Rosset, the iconic literary quarterly has been relaunched under the direction of editor-in-chief Dale Peck. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new hashtag, #women_writers, is providing a safe space for female writers to talk about their literary passions, careers and frustrations in response to sexism within the publishing industry. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-08-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Martin Clarke defends Daily Mail website’s coverage of EU referendum, also attacking critics of its so-called ‘sidebar of shame’Mail Online publisher Martin Clarke has vigorously defended the website’s coverage of immigration ahead of Thursday’s EU referendum, saying the migrant story that... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-06-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A selection of the top ten books that have received five star reviews on IndieReader, a service which reviews self-published books. The post IndieReader’s Top 10 Five-star Reviews of Self-Published Books appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A lyrical consideration of finding God in everyday experiences, and a story of evolving from the 'crusader complex' to a more considered faith are among PW's spirituality and religion picks for April. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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From the mud and thunder of early festivals to Live Aid and Rihanna, music journalist Mark Ellen was usually in the right place at the right timeMark Ellen surveys the happy youngsters comfortably cavorting at Glastonbury, marvelling at Primal Scream beneath a harvest moon. “You bastards,” moans... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Drawing on her panoramic reading and her experiences of the authorly life cycle, Atwood surveys her trade with a mix of seriousness and gentle fun“You may find the subject a little peculiar,” warns Margaret Atwood, before she discusses the writer’s relationship with mortality. “It is a little... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bear with me, video blogger Zoella asks fans, as she takes break from internet after admitting that runaway bestselling debut Girl Online was written jointlyYouTube star Zoe Sugg has announced that she is taking a break from the internet after admitting that she did not write her bestselling... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This study of teenagers' social networking habits shows that's it's not technology they are 'addicted' to – it's friendship groupsForget the revelations about the NSA: one group in society has been living with surveillance for years. A group whose every move is tracked, whose freedom of movement... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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