Cultural Cross Sections Margaret Randall Children’s choir at the 2014 La Matanza Book Fair / Photo by Mauro Rico / Ministerio de Cultura de la Nación / Flickr When good engineers or scientists emigrate, they are able to continue their work. Novelists no. A good novel is nourished by the sap of one’s own culture, one’s people, and what happens in daily life.—Ricardo Jorge Machado[i] A recurring drama when I lived in Cuba throughout the 1970s was the periodic emigration of citizens from all social strata who for one reason or another felt compelled to leave their homeland. This might take place in waves, such as the Mariel exodus in May 1980 when 125,000 people boarded boats for southern Florida. Or it might be a high-profile individual: a baseball player who wanted to join the Major Leagues, a well-trained physician who believed he or she could earn more elsewhere, or a poet or novelist who was fed up with the Revolution and wanted to try their luck in another country (most often the United States). All were considered traitors and departed amidst a barrage of vituperative harassment. Heberto Padilla was one such poet. In the late 1960s he entered a collection of his work in an important literary contest. The book, Fuera del juego (Outside the game), was given first prize by an international jury. As it was perceived as being critical of the Revolution, the power structure didn’t know what to do with the decision; it eventually... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2019-07-10 21:07:28 UTC ]
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” –Arthur Ashe * Years ago, when I was still a budding fiction writer, I published an essay about how hard skateboarding is to write about. I focused on a few novelists who had skater characters in their books but who clearly didn’t skate […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-02-09 09:55:45 UTC ]
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Interviews The creative writing of the twenty-first century will be remembered for having sanctioned the passage of text from paper to digital support. But is it really true that the author’s cards have disappeared? And how do contemporary authors write... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2022-02-08 20:43:39 UTC ]
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This year, Bologna Children's Book Fair's Illustrators' Exhibition features winning work from 78 artists in 29 international markets. The post Bologna Children’s Book Fair Names Its 56th Illustrators’ Exhibition Winners appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-02-07 04:17:02 UTC ]
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The passage of a new state order in Saxony permits the Leipzig Book Fair to be staged physically in March with restrictions in place. The post Germany’s Leipzig Book Fair Confirms a Physical 2022 Show: March 17 to 20 appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-02-03 16:32:39 UTC ]
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Comma Press is to publish The Cuckoo Cage, the latest anthology in its History-into-Fiction series, featuring stories by British authors including Courttia Newland, Luan Goldie and Irfan Master. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-25 11:00:43 UTC ]
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Gina Miller and Theresa May are happy to be in Bloody Difficult Women, but the Mail man wanted his lawyers to vet the scriptThe Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday have been banging on a lot lately about freedom of expression. An editorial declared it to be a “dark day” when the newspaper group... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-01-25 08:00:39 UTC ]
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The organisers of the Bologna Children's Book Fair have confirmed the event is due to take place in person this year, but will offer exhibitors a 100% refund if it has to be cancelled again. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-13 10:44:53 UTC ]
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Norman Mailer's long-term US publisher Random House has declined to publish an anthology of his writing, with indie Skyhorse Publishing picking up the book instead, though the late author's son stressed his father has not been "cancelled". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-06 02:12:21 UTC ]
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Who is Elena Ferrante? One of the most widely-acclaimed and beloved contemporary novelists is also the most unknown. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-12-29 11:33:00 UTC ]
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If you love Jane Smiley, this episode is for you. Eve and Julie are joined by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author in an interview that was recorded live for Miami Book Fair 2021. They discuss Jane’s most recent book, Perestroika in Paris, as well as Jane’s writing process, beloved pets, and what... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-12-23 09:51:41 UTC ]
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When it comes to great novels, this year felt like an embarrassment of riches. The books collected here are ambitious—in intellect, in scope, in subject matter, and in size. Some are perfect encapsulations of the unique problems of our time, while others illuminate the human threads that connect... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2021-12-16 12:05:00 UTC ]
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It’s safe to say that in general, 2021 was an improvement on 2020—but that doesn’t mean it was a big one. Among the many disappointments of this year was the fact that we lost far too many members of the literary community, from poets to novelists to editors to critics to publishers. To them, we […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-12-15 09:49:46 UTC ]
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Peepal Tree Press has commissioned a speculative fiction anthology authored by Black British writers and edited by author Leone Ross. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-15 06:54:29 UTC ]
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Are there certain books with topics you avoid? That you fear may leave you a little worse for wear? Here's what may happen if you read them. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-12-07 11:38:00 UTC ]
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School book fairs are a source of nostalgia for book lovers, but they're also a lot of work to run. Here are some tips that will help. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-12-06 11:31:00 UTC ]
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Novelists and short-story writers have created some classic narratives about man’s best friend, the dog. But what are the very best stories and novels about dogs? Where should we begin in assessing the classic, canonical literature that features dogs? From Homer’s Odyssey onwards – where the... Continue reading at Interesting Literature
[ Interesting Literature | 2021-12-03 15:00:29 UTC ]
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The London Library is releasing its second anthology featuring work from its Emerging Writers programme. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-01 01:29:13 UTC ]
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Independent poetry-focused press flipped eye publishing is releasing a new poetry anthology featuring contributions from UK-based Black poets including Inua Ellams, Yomi Sode, Dzifa Benson and Nick Makoha. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-11-25 04:56:57 UTC ]
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Randon Billings Noble discusses her path to essay writing, current reading life, the anthology editing process, and what's next in her career. The post Witch + Spy = Essayist: The Millions Interviews Randon Billings Noble appeared first on The Millions. Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2021-11-17 11:00:36 UTC ]
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The following first appeared in Lit Hub’s Craft of Writing newsletter—sign up here. * While writing my first novel, I was hungry for advice, like many young writers, and soaked up tenets like write every day or wake up before work to go to your desk or hit 1000 words every session. But these... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-11-12 09:55:05 UTC ]
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