Finds for Writers
Most Fridays the Practicing Writing blog shares writing and publishing resources, news, and reflections to peruse over the weekend. But it’s been an excruciating week for so many of us. And frankly, I’ve paid next-to-no attention to garden-variety news from the writing and publishing spheres.
On Wednesday, however, I received an email from Facing History and Ourselves, a Boston-based global nonprofit organization that I’ve admired for many years. The email introduced a “mini-lesson” titled “Processing Attacks in Israel and the Outbreak of War in the Region.”
The resource isn’t perfect. (What resource is?) But one of its segments impressed me as something that, though intended for educators and students, could be clarifying for writers as well, in our work and in the rest of our lives. It’s a section titled “Avoiding Antisemitic and Islamophobic Tropes in Discussing Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.”
- “Independent Bookstore Day is a one-day national party that takes place at indie bookstores across the country on the last Saturday in April.” Which is tomorrow!
- Want to read a “deliriously wonderful publishing story”? Check Anne Trubek’s take on the success of Deesha Philyaw and her short-story collection, published by West Virginia University Press. (Scroll down to the midpoint of the newsletter for this story.)
- I loved this piece by Cathi Hanauer about rereading Judy Blume’s books—I’m a few years younger than Hanauer, but plenty in the piece resonated.
- “W.W. Norton has stopped shipping and promoting Blake Bailey’s biography of Philip Roth following allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against the author by a number of women. On Monday, Bailey’s literary agency, the Story Factory, dropped the author when those allegations first surfaced. Bailey has denied all allegations.” (Via Publishers Weekly)
- And of course, you’ll find a fresh set of Jewish lit links over on the My Machberet blog (including some timely info for anyone who might want to submit poetry to the Jewish Book Council).
Have a great weekend.
Evidently, current events have changed the standard national policy to guilty until proven innocent. Rather a shame, I think.
Are you referencing the Bailey story, Sandra? I’ve just read this much more extensive article from The New York Times; it seems that in this case, where there’s smoke, there’s quite likely been fire: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/21/books/philip-roth-blake-bailey.html.