Every day Poets & Writers Magazine scans the headlines—from publishing reports to academic announcements to literary dispatches—for all the news that creative writers need to know. Here are today’s stories:
In honor of the 150th anniversary of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s birth, Maria Russo delves into the legacy of the “Little House” books; the role of Wilder’s daughter, Rose, as editor and ghostwriter for the series; and how the pioneer spirit of the Ingalls family appeals to liberals and conservatives alike. (New York Times)
Poet Thomas Lux has died at the age of seventy. Lux published fourteen poetry collections, most recently To the Left of Time in 2016. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
After a four-year hiatus, the online literary journal Tongue, devoted to challenging borders and expanding notions of form and translation, has relaunched in response to the “abundance of strange language” that has emerged in today’s politically charged climate. The journal will publish three writers every two weeks, starting with Lo Kwa Mei-en, Alice Fulton, and Melissa Range.
A mystery benefactor donated fifty copies of George Orwell’s 1984 to the San Francisco bookshop Booksmith, to be given away for free. Since the beginning of President Trump’s term, sales of Orwell’s dystopian classic have spiked. (Los Angeles Times)
In related news, a stage version of 1984 is slated to open on Broadway in June. (CNN)
Electric Literature interviews Paul Auster about solitude, his writing process, and his 866-page novel, 4321, that was published last week by Henry Holt.
Politico takes a look at the books and political philosophers that have influenced Steven Bannon, the White House’s chief strategist.
“So, when a poem does well, it makes us feel stronger afterwards, because now there is an utterance that someone else has made that reminds us we are not totally crazy.” Rita Dove talks with Salon about poetry, optimism, and politics.
