ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

WORDS

Westminster Abbey Finally Fixes A Typo On The Bronte Sisters’ Plaque

They got their umlaut, "a small but sizable victory for three sisters who could not publish under their own names nearly 200 years ago, even as their novels Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights helped change the portrayal of women’s lives in fiction.” - The New York Times

When Did Science Fiction Go From Niche To Huge?

There was a time when a fan could know most of the genre, and fantasy too. That time? Long gone. - Reactor Magazine

Harriet Martineau, The Now-Forgotten 19th-Century Novelist Who Changed Far More Than We Realize

"A shocking number of advances in Anglo-American culture — everything from realist fiction to ecology to economic policy — would look different, or might not even exist, if she’d never put pen to paper." - Literary Hub

Saying “Like” All The Time Serves A Legitimate Purpose

And that legitimate purpose is, to put it one way, imprecision, which is precisely why all the constant "like"-ing so irks sticklers. Sociolinguist Valerie Fridland talks about how that works in this episode of the podcast Explain It to Me. (includes partial transcript) - Vox

Ta-Nehisi Coates And The Power Of Words: No Wonder They Want To Ban Books

"I see politicians in Colorado, in Tennessee, in South Carolina moving against my own work, tossing books I’ve authored out of libraries, banning them from classes, and I feel snatched out of the present and brought into another age, one of pitchforks and book-burning bonfires." - Vanity Fair

U.S. Court Of Appeals Hears Case With Enormous Stakes For Public Libraries

The case, Little v. Llano County, involves local citizens who sued a Texas county on First Amendment grounds for ordering certain titles removed from public libraries shelves. County officials argue that decisions about public library books count as speech by government itself, and thus aren't required to be content-neutral. - Publishers Weekly

Because Of New State Laws, Book Bans In U.S. Schools Are Soaring

"PEN America officials said that the organization has counted more than 10,000 cases of book censorship in public schools during the 2023-2024 school year, nearly triple the number from the previous school year." - Publishers Weekly

In U.S. Libraries, At Least, Book-Banning Efforts Are Slowing

"The American Library Association released its preliminary data documenting attempts to censor books and materials in public, school, and academic libraries, finding that the number of tracked challenges fell significantly for the first eight months of 2024." - Publishers Weekly

An Alarming Rise In Retractions Of Research Papers

The publication of research papers drives university rankings and career progression, yet the relentless pressure to publish has contributed to an increase in fraudulent data. Unless this changes, the entire research landscape may shift toward a less rigorous standard, hindering vital progress in fields such as medicine, technology and climate science. - The Conversation

About 40% Of Jobs In U.S. Book Publishing Have Disappeared Since 1997

Figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that employment in the industry peaked in 1997 at 91,100 jobs; as late as 2008 there were 84,600. By 2021, that figure was down to 51,161, though an additional 3,721 jobs were added in the next two years. - Publishers Weekly

More Than 10,000 Books Were Banned In The US Last Year

The survey from PEN America suggested that bans of books nearly tripled nationwide, from 3,362 the previous year. - The Guardian

How Publishers Weaponized Copyright Against Libraries

It’s no surprise that the courts have sided with the publishers. For decades, copyright law has increasingly served the interests of large companies, narrowing the scope of use for individuals while extending rights-protection terms for owners. In today’s world, “intellectual property” takes precedence over access to content. - Jacobin

Of The Big Fall Books, Which Should You Read?

Face it, we only have so much time in our lives. The LitHub flow chart is here for you. - LitHub

A Love Letter To The Chicago Manual Of Style

To some, the book “isn’t merely a guide; it’s a testament to the art of textual precision. Its presence on the desk of the devoted writer is not a matter of mere chance but a reflection of its embodiment of principles that make it indispensable." - LitHub

Sally Rooney Isn’t Worried About The Thinkpieces On Her Literary Growth

“The amount and intensity of both the praise and the criticism of her output can feel a little outsize, a little confusing — including to Rooney, who, as she suggested over the course of two long conversations in July, would much rather let her work speak for itself.” - The New York Times

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