The New York Public Library’s Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers announced its fellows for 2022-2023. Fellows receive a stipend and have access to the library’s research collections and an office in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on 42nd Street in NYC. This year’s recipients include nonfiction writers Rozina Ali, Raghu Karnad, Patrick Phillips and Francesca Wade; fiction writers Claire Luchette, Daniel Saldaña París, Brandon Taylor and C Pam Zhang; and poet Colin Channer.
Authors
Storytelling In The Cultural Moment At ABA Snow Days
On Thursday morning, Emma Straub moderated a keynote at ABA Snow Days titled “Storytelling in the Cultural Moment.” The talk featured Jennifer Egan, Celeste Ng, and Kali Fajardo-Anstine speaking mostly about their forthcoming novels, but also addressing what it’s like to be a novelist in an era of social upheaval and global pandemic. Asked how the current moment contributed to her new book, Our Missing Hearts, Ng said the recent attacks on Asian Americans “became a sort of seed crystal around which the rest of the book started to focus.” She said, “It felt like something that I needed to […]
Former Washington Football Player’s Memoir Canceled
Atria is “not proceeding with the publication” of Robert Griffin III’s memoir about playing for Washington, DC’s football team, a spokesperson confirmed to PL. Slated to publish on Aug 16, Surviving Washington was described as “detailing the shocking mismanagement and toxic culture within the most dysfunctional professional football team in America.” DC sports radio station WJFK-FM reports that tweets about the book from Griffin and coauthor Gary Myers have been deleted. The book page has disappeared from the S&S website and BN.com. A source told the radio station that Griffin had “second thoughts” about the book.
New York State Considers Freelance Isn’t Free Law
On Thursday, the Freelance Isn’t Free Act was introduced in the New York State Senate, which would both expand statewide and also strengthen a similar 2017 law in New York City that provides protections to independent contractors. The city’s law applies to contracts worth $800 or more; the state threshold would apply at just $250. Author’s Guild ceo Mary Rasenberger released a statement in support of the law on behalf of the organization, saying, “We have seen a dramatic increase in the number of complaints from writers about very late payment or nonpayment. It is not fair that workers paid […]
Cancelled: Jumi Bello’s The Leaving
Riverhead has cancelled Jumi Bello’s debut novel THE LEAVING, about a young Black woman dealing with an unexpected pregnancy, which was set to be published on July 12. A high profile title, the book had appeared on multiple anticipated lists. Metadata for the book has been removed from online booksellers. Bello did not respond to queries about the cancellation, nor did Riverhead or Amy Williams, who sold the book and reportedly no longer represents Bello.
Buzz Books Young Adult Editors Panel Tomorrow
You still have time to register for our second virtual Buzz Books Young Adult Editors Panel, happening tomorrow, Wednesday, February 2 at noon Eastern. You can register here. ALL MY RAGE, by Sabaa Tahir (Razorbill). Edited by Ruta Rimas. HOW TO BE THE BEST THIRD WHEEL, by Loridee De Villa (Wattpad Books). Edited by Rebecca Sands. BALLAD & DAGGER AN OUTLAW SAINTS NOVEL, by Daniel Jose Older (Rick Riordan). Edited by Rebecca Kuss. FINDING JUPITER, by Kelis Rowe (Crown Books for Young Readers). Edited by Phoebe Yeh.