Authors

Terry Pratchett was a true great, the equal of Swift

Submitted by Blake on March 15, 2015 - 8:57pm

In an age of fundamentalisms, the author embraced doubt, the possibility that a stupid belief might have something going for it

From Terry Pratchett was a true great, the equal of Swift | Frank Cottrell Boyce | Comment is free | The Guardian

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BBC News - Sir Terry Pratchett, renowned fantasy author, dies aged 66

Submitted by Blake on March 12, 2015 - 12:46pm

He was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2007, but continued writing, completing his final book last summer.

The author died at home "with his cat sleeping on his bed, surrounded by his family," Mr Finlay said.

"In over 70 books, Terry enriched the planet like few before him," he added.

"As all who read him know, Discworld was his vehicle to satirize this world: He did so brilliantly, with great skill, enormous humour and constant invention.

From BBC News - Sir Terry Pratchett, renowned fantasy author, dies aged 66

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Authors

Bill Watterson talks

Submitted by Blake on March 10, 2015 - 7:48pm

Bill Watterson, that master of timing, waited decades to give a truly in-depth interview. As he did with his beloved strip, the “Calvin and Hobbes” creator knows when and how to aim for, and deliver, the exceptional. He was in the interviewer’s chair for one of the best cartoonist Q&A’s published last year (his sit-down with the “Cul de Sac” creator for “The Art of Richard Thompson” retrospective book).

From Bill Watterson talks: This is why you must read the new ‘Exploring Calvin and Hobbes’ book - The Washington Post

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James Patterson pledges $1.25 million to school libraries

Submitted by Blake on March 9, 2015 - 2:47pm

This morning, Patterson announced his plan to give away $1.25 million to school libraries. In partnership with children’s publisher Scholastic, he will make individual donations of $1,000 to $10,000. The money can be used for books, reading programs or even technology and repairs. Scholastic Reading Club has pledged to match each grant with bonus points that can be used for books and classroom materials.

From James Patterson pledges $1.25 million to school libraries - The Washington Post

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Authors

Douglas Adams made me a writer: Neil Gaiman salutes his friend and inspiration

Submitted by Blake on March 4, 2015 - 3:07pm

Paying tribute to his genius at the annual Douglas Adams lecture, writer explains how meeting the Hitchhiker’s Guide author at 22 changed his life

From Douglas Adams made me a writer: Neil Gaiman salutes his friend and inspiration | Books | The Guardian

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Authors

The top three most desirable jobs to have in Britain today are: author, librarian and academic

Submitted by Blake on February 16, 2015 - 7:56pm

New YouGov research reveals that the most desired jobs in Britain are not what you might expect; they are not even the most reliably well paid ones. Instead of actors and musicians, it seems that an aura of prestige still surrounds the quiet, intellectual life enjoyed by authors, librarians and academics.

From YouGov | Bookish Britain: literary jobs are the most desirable

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Academic Libraries
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Employment & Work Stories

Why to Teach Dead White Authors, Even During Black History Month - The Atlantic

Submitted by Blake on February 15, 2015 - 8:29pm

I went on to teach Shakespeare’s Othello, Emerson’s Self-Reliance, and other classics with the same fervor. Although James didn’t always seem engaged, many of my students were. So when you are determining what to teach this Black History Month, by all means, teach Baldwin and Wright and Ellison and Hurston and Walker and Hughes and Morrison and Brooks and Angelou—but don’t do so in isolation. Teach Lincoln on his birthday this February, and read from Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy, and Barack Obama this President’s Day. Black history, after all, is American and world history.

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Authors

Software that can publish every draft of a book simultaneously shows the true beauty of the creative process - Quartz

Submitted by Blake on February 1, 2015 - 9:00am

Once his book, Benjamin Buckingham And The Nightmare’s Nightmare, was finished, Mazurek publicly shared the GitHub project so anyone could see the changes he made to the story along the way. Mazurek said that he originally hadn’t intended to make the project public, that he had just used GitHub as a way of keeping track of his thoughts and making sure he could access his work from multiple computers. But after he showed the project to his friends, they convinced him that there was artistic value in sharing the changes made along the way, as well as the novel itself.
http://qz.com/335942/an-author-used-a-tool-for-programmers-to-write-a-book/

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Books
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The (Still) Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe

Submitted by Blake on January 19, 2015 - 4:53pm

Was the famous author killed from a beating? From carbon monoxide poisoning? From alcohol withdrawal? Here are the top nine theories

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/still-mysterious-death-edgar-allan-poe-180952936/?no-ist

A little old, but it's new to me :-)

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Watership Down author Richard Adams: I just can't do humans

Submitted by Blake on January 5, 2015 - 9:06pm

Watership Down, a story Richard Adams made up to scare his kids in the car, was rejected seven times before it became a classic. As a new illustrated edition is published, the author tells Alison Flood why he loves making children wince and weep

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jan/04/richard-adams-watership-down-interview

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