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WORDS

Penguin Random House CEO Steps Down After Failed Takeover

As the head of the largest publisher in the country, Markus Dohle oversaw the attempted acquisition of Simon & Schuster, a deal the Justice Department sued to stop on antitrust grounds. - The New York Times

The Choices For 2022’s Word Of The Year Are Weird And All Over The Place

The selections: a word that describes 2022 entirely too well; an all-too-common behavioral M.O. these days; a now-overused term derived from a Hollywood movie; a color used to designate independent legislators; and a common American word that confused the rest of the world when it was the answer to Wordle. - BuzzFeed

What’s The One Thing That Profanity Throughout The World Has In Common? Phonemes.

The phonemes they lack, that is. "They're less likely than other words to include the consonant sounds L, R, W or Y. And more family-friendly versions of curses often have these sounds added." - The New York Times

Libraries As Activist Organizations?

The condemnation of the history of the American library, by its own gatekeepers, has done more than bring “Drag Queen Story Hour” to every children’s reading room. It has also upended the traditional role of the library as an organization primarily dedicated to the acquisition, preservation, and circulation of books. - New Criterion

Closing Of A Literary Magazine Demonstrates The Perilous Nature Of Literary Magazines

 Its short existence offers insight both into what is possible for a literary magazine to accomplish and into the tenuous place such publications occupy in the American publishing landscape. - The New York Times

Timbuktu Isn’t The Only Place With Badass Librarians.  They’re Heroes In Ukraine, Too.

"The brutal material horrors of the struggle, might make any cultural reading of the conflict seem fantastical or glib. But at its core, and from its origin, this Ukrainian conflict has been a war over language and identity. And Ukraine's libraries are the key." - The Observer (UK)

Revisiting The History-Making Obscenity Trial Of “Lady Chatterley’s Lover”

D. H. Lawrence's novel had been banned in Britain since it was first printed privately in 1928, but in 1960, Penguin UK published the first uncensored edition — and was promptly prosecuted under the Obscene Publications Act of 1959.  Perhaps no other trial in modern British history had such impact. - Esquire

How Books Became An Enduring Holiday Gift

“When you change from giving gifts to serfs or beggars to your kids and your spouse, you can’t just give them the stuff you already have in your household,." And in the early 1800s, books, which were typically quite expensive, fit this bill. - The New York Times

Oxford English Dictionary’s Word Of The Year is What???

“Goblin mode” — a slang term referring to “a type of behavior which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations” — has been named Oxford’s 2022 Word of the Year. - The New York Times

What We All Lose When Students Don’t Learn To Read, Or Write, Cursive

Michel Martin's uncles in the military "wrote letters to each other promising to take care of their future families or their families, ... in this beautiful cursive handwriting. And it never occurred to me that my children might not be able to read that." - NPR

Astra Magazine’s Short Life Shows The Precariousness Of Literary Journals

"Astra Magazine, Spiegelman said, was 'both unusual and exciting, a glamorous and subversive literary project, a breath of fresh air and hope.' And then it was over." - The New York Times

The Best Library Instagram In The United States And Perhaps The World

Who knew this was a contest? And yet, the Milwaukee Public Library is clearly winning. - LitHub

On Writing Memoir-ish Fiction And Reader Complaints About Not Enough Sex

Elif Batuman "expects from any book, her own included, nothing less than a real-time experiment in how we should think and live." - Paris Review

South Asian Novels Have Been On An Awards Streak Lately.  Will That Help South Asian Literature As A Whole?

This year's Booker Prize was won by a Sri Lankan, and the International Booker went to an Indian novel.  And there's always Salman Rushdie.  But beyond a few famous authors and prizewinning books, South Asian literature is still having a hard time breaking through — especially books translated from Indian languages. - The Guardian

The Washington Post Is Closing Its Sunday Magazine

"The newspaper has eliminated the positions of the magazine's 10 staff members, according to the Post. There's no guarantee the staffers will be offered other positions at the paper, though the Post reports that restaurant reviews and the crossword puzzle will continue to appear in print." - DCist

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