• Stephen King won the with Mr. Mercedes, about “a sicko who intentionally runs people over with his car.”
• Tomorrow, Saturday, May 2, is . Visit one and scarf some swag. “Maybe everything isn’t hopeless bullshit.”
• Books-A-Million is selling more in its stores, compensating for a decline in book and magazine sales. Other book retailers have long been doing the same. Are we witnessing an adjustment, or the slow death of the bookstore as we know it?
• While on the subject of funerals, has become less popular than knitting, although it still beats going to the opera. Which means it isn’t finished yet, because—wait for it—the fat lady hasn’t sung!
• And while—still—on the subject of poetry (that’s what you get for having a National Poetry Month), the Library of Congress is in the process of making its archived poetry and literature readings .
• The Children’s Book Council is , so incarcerated mothers can read to their children during visitations.
• , Pulitzer winner for poetry, on his sudden fame.
• Should the rise from the dead? Or has it been dead too long.
• Men’s rights activists are on literature. Srsly.
• The White House is arranging for to be donated to low-income students.
• An eight-year-old successfully made a case : nine publishers, including Scholastic, have agreed to stop labelling books as “for boys” or “for girls.”
• Literary speed dating: for your book.
• Some writers are protesting PEN’s Free Expression Courage Award going to Charlie Hebdo, even going so far as to . Others think their behavior : “The martyred editor of Charlie Hebdo, Stephane Charbonnier, famously said, ‘I prefer to die standing than live on my knees.’ The PEN dissenters believe he belonged on his knees.” Key players will participate in a 5 May, the day of the award.
• is coming to television! Which makes us happie, except for, you know, the whole we-hope-they-don’t-fuck-it-up thing.
• Oh, goodness, will they never learn. Another , this time a cover photo. (The image in question has already been replaced.)
• Baltimore libraries are despite the protests.
• 70% of kids say they want books that . But the analysis runs a little deeper; YA authors would do well to read this.
• don’t get no respect.
• Finally, , extremely condensed. You no longer have an excuse to be (or not to be, ha ha) ignorant of Shakespeare.
Photo of Stephen King by , licensed under Creative Commmons.
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