Latham, a bookseller for 35 years, has put together a heady mix of history, philosophy, anecdotes and entertaining factsWhat most people know about the American librarian Melvil Dewey is his phenomenal classification technique, the Dewey decimal system, which is still used in 135 countries. Less well known is how he liked to classify people, too. In a chapter entitled “Dubious Dewey”, Martin Latham describes how the great librarian created groups from A to D, banning all in the D group – Jews, African-Americans, Cubans and the “new rich” – from his Lake Placid resort. He was also a prolific groper of women. Latham speculates that Dewey’s hypocrisy, and his “obsessively domineering persona”, were what caused his lifelong constipation and piles.This is a book that is down on banning, rigidity, abuse of power and all kinds of snobbery, bookish and otherwise. It celebrates stories, scribbling in margins and the collecting, cherishing and even kissing of books – something done with surprising frequency, apparently. Latham, a bookseller for 35 years, currently runs Waterstones Canterbury, where he proudly filed the biggest petty cash claim in the chain’s history to pay for the excavation of a Roman bath house under its floor. But this is not one of those funny “anecdotes from a bookshop” books that have recently been popular – though anecdotes there are aplenty. It is rather a history and celebration of all things bookish, from Alexander the Great’s unusual habit of reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2020-12-19 09:00:45 UTC ]
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The winners of the 2022 Whiting Literary Magazine Prize celebrating "excellence in publishing and advocacy for writers" have been announced. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-07-14 21:40:54 UTC ]
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We are thrilled to announce that Electric Literature has won the prestigious Whiting Literary Magazine Prize! This highly competitive award recognizes excellence in digital and print magazines, and supports winners with an outright grant in the first year, followed by two years of a matching... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2022-07-14 13:15:00 UTC ]
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Today, the Whiting Foundation announced the winners of its 2022 Literary Magazine Prizes, which honor “the most innovative and essential publications at the forefront of American literary culture.” The five winners were chosen—from an initial pool of more than eighty applicants —based on their... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-07-14 13:01:36 UTC ]
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The winners of the fifth annual Whiting Literary Magazine Prizes have been announced, with five publications, including 'Electric Literature' and 'Zyzzyva,' taking home a combined total of $144,000 in funding. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-07-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Okay, maybe I say this every Tuesday, but I really, really mean it today: we’ve got a good book bounty this week, folks. * K-Ming Chang, Gods of Want (One World) “Relationships between women—familial, beloved, strange, imagined—dominate queer Taiwanese American Chang’s explosive and bizarre... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-07-12 12:00:03 UTC ]
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In “Circus of Dreams,” the literary editor John Walsh writes about the bookish life in London when Martin Amis, Ian McEwan, Jeanette Winterson and their generation were in the increasingly bright limelight. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-07-12 02:13:37 UTC ]
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Yep, as the guy in your MFA already knows, turns out reading literary fiction is better for you than reading other kinds of fiction—especially if you grew up doing it. In a new paper published this week in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, scholars Nicholas Buttrick, Erin C.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-07-08 16:16:52 UTC ]
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Patrick Radden Keefe's essays reflect this unsettling era of mass shootings and terrorism, unaddressed mental health issues and many types of financial corruption. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-07-08 12:00:55 UTC ]
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The Kindle is the reigning leader among e-readers. But Amazon makes several models—knowing which Kindle to buy depends on your budget and your reading preferences. That’s where this guide comes in. With our help, you’ll find just the right Kindle for you or your lucky loved one. Amazon’s E... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2022-07-07 16:00:00 UTC ]
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The first three titles in the Penguin Classics Marvel Collection were released last month and we talk to Ben Saunders, professor of English and director of the Cartoon and Comics Studies minor at the University of Oregon and editorial director for the line, about his vision for the series. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-07-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A new historical fiction series for young readers highlights “the importance of standing up for what you know is right.” Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-07-01 04:20:49 UTC ]
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The new literary magazine 'Fictionable' launches June 27 with short works including graphic fiction and translation. The post In the UK, a New Literary Magazine, With International Intent appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-06-24 20:36:08 UTC ]
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While we celebrate queer literature and history all year long at Lit Hub dot com, we also love a good book list. This year, in honor of Pride, we reached out to some of our favorite librarians, booksellers, and authors and asked them about the queer books they find themselves recommending over... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-06-24 08:52:38 UTC ]
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Celebrate the The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art's 20th anniversary with a whole summer of Eric Carle goodness! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-06-20 10:39:00 UTC ]
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Executive directors at regional bookseller associations across the country believe that conditions are right for big turnouts at their in-person fall shows. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-06-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The best-selling author crossed paths with John Grisham and Pat Conroy early in his career. Here’s what they taught him. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-06-09 09:00:14 UTC ]
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The comedian’s memoir was funny. But when the new show based on it tries for something deeper, it sinks into bathos. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-06-08 02:00:06 UTC ]
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Leila Mottley’s debut novel about a teenager’s serial abuse is based on a true story. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-06-07 09:00:12 UTC ]
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The Serbian-Canadian author David Albahari wins the €10,000 biennial Aleksandar Tišma International Literary Prize. The post David Albahari Wins Serbia’s Aleksandar Tišma International Literary Prize appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-06-06 18:45:34 UTC ]
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In "Mean Baby," "Cruel Intentions" star Selma Blair discusses the very long road to her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis with charm and candor. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-06-03 13:00:52 UTC ]
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