Category: words

Three Seattle women sit at typewriters in public places, turning out instant poetry for anyone who stops by. “In a city built on industrial cyberspace, these three performers are putting ink-stained paper in the hands of people and getting them to prattle over it. And they earn just enough money – $1 a poem (they’ll write 50 this night) – to keep themselves in typing ribbon.” – USA Today

— begin showing up in traditional bookstores, available alongside the latest hardback Grisham. – Wired

“Of all the book-crafting companies in the world, Workman Publishing is arguably the loosest, the looniest, the least predictable–and one of the most successful. The firm, in its 33rd year, also owns the haute-lit house Algonquin Books and the artsy Artisan publishing company. Though publisher Peter Workman won’t reveal its financial footing–one knowledgeable publishing source estimated Workman’s annual revenues as ‘north of $100 million’ – he will say that each year has been better than the previous one.” – Washington Post

— and huge losses. – Publishers Weekly

Nobel writer Gunter Grass says computers and the internet are bad influences on good writing, and that pen and paper are an essential part of his life as a writer. ” I mistrust this computer work,” he says. – Wired

The newest Harry Potter book is leading Amazon’s bestseller chart. But it hasn’t even been published yet. The Potter tomes are remarkable – so much so that they almost read themselves. But come on – let’s not confuse them with great literature. And that’s what some awards-folk seem to be doing of late. – The Age (Melbourne)

The Canadian province of Newfoundland has a good old fashioned literary feud going. “The affair erupted last month over the rights to a ‘little poem’ allegedly reprinted in a textbook without the author’s consent. Raising the stakes, the ‘textbook’ is a bound pilot document for one of the most ambitious projects in provincial publishing history. – National Post (Canada)

— stolen from Russian library. – The Times of India (AP)

Twenty-something writers – provocative, sexy and extremely marketable – are achieving overnight best-selling status…but let’s not confuse artistic development with publishing glory. Shouldn’t suffering, poverty, and failure be part of the literary journey? – The Age (Melbourne)

No predictors of literariness. Some writers are just as witty and interesting and fun in their correspondence as they are in their work. Then there are Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning’s letters to each other. “You can ask someone to tap you repeatedly on the head with a teaspoon or you can wade through the detailed description of every thought either of them ever had.” – The Hungry Mind Review