Man Booker Prize: Paul Beatty becomes first US winner for The Sellout – I am of two minds about this: while I am thrilled that Paul Beatty’s book is being rewarded for its brilliance, it’s yet another big prize for a U.S. writer. Still, watching Beatty accept the award was very moving, ... more >
On Sex in Fiction – So let’s start with the good. Yes, it’s another one of those author-written semi-promotional pieces, but it also happens to be a nice little companion piece to the several pieces on writing sex we’ve been discussing in recent news posts (and I can’t remember the last ... more >
Amazon sues 1,114 reviewers, some selling their opinions for $5 – So it seems that the ubiquity and brazenness of of positive reviews for sale on Fiverr has finally backfired. Amazon has filed suit against more than a thousand for-profit fake review sellers (I won’t even call these folks reviewers, because they ... more >
“we will need writers who can remember freedom”: ursula k le guin at the national book awards – A transcription of Ursula Le Guin’s speech at the National Book Awards ceremony Wednesday night. Le Guin’s comments have been getting a lot of attention, in part because of her assault on ... more >
Ebook Growth Slows to Single Digits in U.S. in 2013 – In 2012, digital books comprised 23% of adult trade sales, and in 2013, that percentage only grew by a few points, to 27%. Children’s books decreased in digital, even though sales are up since 2011. What segment of the ... more >