News & Notes is a weekly Saturday post featuring book- and publishing-related news, links to interesting articles and opinion pieces, and other cool stuff.
I haven’t posted News & Notes in several weeks due to being out of town, so about half of these links are more than a week old – but still interesting, if you missed them the first time.
Book News
- RSC [Royal Shakespeare Company] and Samsung Bring Shakespeare to Smartphones in an effort to engage teens in Shakespeare. David Tennant is involved in the project as well. (The Telegraph; also Re:Shakespeare press release.)
- The Thurber Prize finalists for 2015 have been announced. Works by Roz Chast, Annabelle Gurwitch, and Julie Schumacher will contend for the prize; the winner will be announced on Sept. 28. (Thurber House)
Literary Losses
Oliver Sacks
Oliver Sacks, the bestselling author and neurologist who wrote about the science of the brain by exploring the experiences of individuals with brain and perception disorders, died August 30 at the age of 82. Before he died, he penned several essays, including a moving essay on being diagnosed with terminal cancer, published in The New York Times last February. The field of neurology has lost a great scientist and interpreter, and the world has lost a man of great compassion, intellectual curiosity, and wisdom. Obituaries: Forbes; Guardian; New York Times; Washington Post
Worth Reading
- How Do You Track Your Reading? Poll Results (BookRiot)
For Writers & Bloggers
- An Accomplished Writer Takes a ‘Masterclass’ from a Gargantuan Selling Writer. You know that add that keeps popping up in your Facebook feed, the one for James Patterson’s writing masterclass? Author Joyce Maynard took it, and discovered that it just might be worthwhile.
Great Blog Posts
- Lola’s Ramblings: How and When Do You Write Your Blog Posts? (Lola’s Reviews)
- How to Create Folders in Bloglovin’ (Feed Your Fiction Addiction)
- Tutorial: How I Edit My #Bookstagram Photos Using PicMonkey (Paper Fury)
Book & Movie Announcements
- Kenneth Brannagh Developing Artemis Fowl Adaptation for Disney. (Variety)
- The trailer for the new comic Raising Dion, about a widowed black woman raising a young son with superpowers, has gone viral, and no wonder. The premise sounds wonderful, and the main character is, for once, not the kid with superpowers but the mom. (It’s about time a mom got to be the heroine of a comic book!) But the trailer is good enough that I’m already seeing calls for a TV show – and I’d be totally behind it. You can download a digital copy of the first issue of the comic here.
Awesome Lists
- 25 Fictional Languages You Can Totally Learn To Speak (infographic) – “Speak” is a bit of a misnomer, but if you’re into fictional languages, you might find a few you don’t know here. They left out Gallifrean, though.
- 25 Period Dramas to Watch on Netflix (Silver Petticoat Review)
Really Cool / Just for Fun
Proposed tea tins from NovelTeas (Kickstarter)
- NovelTea Kickstarter – teas in book tins with punny titles like The Picture of Earl Grey and Don Quixotea.
Bookish Quote
That’s it for this week!
Cait @ Paper Fury
Oh wow, I would totally read those superhero comics AND if it was a TV show that would be amazing, right?!?! I hope it goes ahead. 😀 Thanks for sharing my link and ohh, I need check out that masterclass one too. xD
Cait @ Paper Fury recently posted…Beautiful People #13 // September Edition
Lark_Bookwyrm
I was glad to share your link – great post! And I like the comic, but I think a TV show would be really great.
Red Iza
Finally, superheroes have “real” moms and they’re the heroin of the comic, yay !!!
Red Iza recently posted…Review / Olivia Cunning : Insider
Lark_Bookwyrm
About time, isn’t it?! 🙂 Moms rock.
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library
I want those book teas! I can definitely see why Raising Dion has gone viral. What a fun premise. It’s good to have you back Lark!
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library recently posted…My Berlin Kitchen – Review + Recipe
Lark_Bookwyrm
I want the book teas too! I love the tins. And I’m looking forward to following the Raising Dion comic. It’s good to be back!
Bea @Bea's Book Nook
The comic book premise is fantastic and I hope it sells super-well!
Bea @Bea’s Book Nook recently posted…August Balancing the Books
Lark_Bookwyrm
Me too! I read the first one and I like it so far.
R_Hunt @ View From My Home
Love this post, many good links.
What, no Sindarin language?..joking.. Quenya is a main one, but also the other too. We are LOTR geeks here.
So sad about Oliver Sacks. I just loved his Awakenings movie, but never read a book by him. Great work he did in his lifetime.
I love those tea tins and would buy them 🙂 They should think about just selling them empty too, so people like me who buy loose tea at Teavana can use our own. Have a great week!
R_Hunt @ View From My Home recently posted…Summer Wrap-Up* Are You a List Maker* link to my WW
Lark_Bookwyrm
If you fund the Kickstarter at the $10 level (I think; it might be $15), you can get an empty tin! I’m doing that; I want the Earl Grey tin. 🙂