Mid-week Literary News
1. On Sunday, I discovered this applocation called Spotify (which I told isn't new at all), which allows you to search for and listen to music (while you work, etc). A friend on facebook had listened to a song, and facebook had told me, so I followed the link, and with minutes I was listening to Zimbabwe's Leonard Dembo (while I worked). And I realized too that facebook was telling the world what I had listened to, which I didn't mind because I want the whole world to listen to what I listen to. Like much social media, Spotify doesn't charge for these products but it makes money on you, as well as your friends, being the its product, the fact that you are listening, and that you become part of the listening stastics. They play ads as well, which do not take much from your listening time.
And why is this part of writing news? Because when I said I listened while working, I meant that I was writing, or editing, or sometimes just looking at what I had, or had not yet, written.
2. This thing called "Itunesfication of Literature": A tweet by the Canadian writer, Judy Rebick, whom I follow on Twitter, had link that led to an articles that talks about how Rebick and Margret Atwood are leading in the age of itunesfying of literature. Margaret Atwood, in particular, as a canonical Canadian writer,has a strong influence on other writers and on readers and can determine the direction of some aspects our world literature takes. So thanks to Twitter, Judy Rebick tweeted the article and Atwood retweeted it, and when I saw it, I retweeted it, posted a link on facebook, and decided to blog about it. All rights were reserved, so I couldn't just lift the whole article and paste it on my blog; instead, I resorted to this---blogging about it.
The article was published on That Shakespearean Rag: Notes from a Literary Lad. Basically, these writers, using the e-book format, are publishing "singles" of their new works on Amazon, Penguin and other platforms. For instance, Artwood has published a new short story, entitled “I’m Starved for You,” via the San Francisco–based digital publisher Byliner. Rick has published a 70 + page book. Many writers, mostly those who could not get traditional publishers, have been doing this for some time, but now we are seeing blockbuster writers embracing the format, so a trend may already be afoot, and as the Shona say, tateya nzeve. It's something to pay attention to, something to imitate.
3. In the UK, Betty Makoni launched her poetry collection. I need a copy of this book as it deals with social justice issues, especially as they relate to the girl child worldwide. I had the priviledge of listening to a few of the poems read by the author on Vision Radio, when I called to read my own poem. The launch took place on March 8, International Women's Day. The event, as Stephanie Chiyangwa reports, brought together women from different parts of the world, and some of the noted speakers included human rights activists, poets, and supporters of the Girl Child Network, of which Makoni is the founder. Makoni's poetry volume is entitled "A Woman Once a Girl: Breaking the Silence". In the words of Stephanie Chiyangwa, " This book speaks volumes, it will open up wounds and heal them. It is an inspiring and powerful book."
4. Announcing the new International Poetry Tour at North Natomas Library:
6. The same week we learned about Teju Cole's PEN/Hemingway, we also learned that Zimbabwe's Peter Godwin, the author of the celebrated Mukiwa, is now the president of PEN America, a position that has been held by the Ghanaian scholar Kwame Anthony Appiah. Really another piece of great, something that put you in a writing rage, one that hammers the keyboard non-stop.
And why is this part of writing news? Because when I said I listened while working, I meant that I was writing, or editing, or sometimes just looking at what I had, or had not yet, written.
2. This thing called "Itunesfication of Literature": A tweet by the Canadian writer, Judy Rebick, whom I follow on Twitter, had link that led to an articles that talks about how Rebick and Margret Atwood are leading in the age of itunesfying of literature. Margaret Atwood, in particular, as a canonical Canadian writer,has a strong influence on other writers and on readers and can determine the direction of some aspects our world literature takes. So thanks to Twitter, Judy Rebick tweeted the article and Atwood retweeted it, and when I saw it, I retweeted it, posted a link on facebook, and decided to blog about it. All rights were reserved, so I couldn't just lift the whole article and paste it on my blog; instead, I resorted to this---blogging about it.
The article was published on That Shakespearean Rag: Notes from a Literary Lad. Basically, these writers, using the e-book format, are publishing "singles" of their new works on Amazon, Penguin and other platforms. For instance, Artwood has published a new short story, entitled “I’m Starved for You,” via the San Francisco–based digital publisher Byliner. Rick has published a 70 + page book. Many writers, mostly those who could not get traditional publishers, have been doing this for some time, but now we are seeing blockbuster writers embracing the format, so a trend may already be afoot, and as the Shona say, tateya nzeve. It's something to pay attention to, something to imitate.
3. In the UK, Betty Makoni launched her poetry collection. I need a copy of this book as it deals with social justice issues, especially as they relate to the girl child worldwide. I had the priviledge of listening to a few of the poems read by the author on Vision Radio, when I called to read my own poem. The launch took place on March 8, International Women's Day. The event, as Stephanie Chiyangwa reports, brought together women from different parts of the world, and some of the noted speakers included human rights activists, poets, and supporters of the Girl Child Network, of which Makoni is the founder. Makoni's poetry volume is entitled "A Woman Once a Girl: Breaking the Silence". In the words of Stephanie Chiyangwa, " This book speaks volumes, it will open up wounds and heal them. It is an inspiring and powerful book."
4. Announcing the new International Poetry Tour at North Natomas Library:
A series of six summer Saturday readings from 4-5pm, beginning June 23, 2012, and continuing through July 28, 2012, at the North Natomas Library. Hosts Emmanuel Sigauke and Frank Graham take you around the globe, bringing in some of the best international poets in the Sac...ramento area for readings that you are certain to enjoy. Free. Open to the public. Visiting authors will be available for book signings before and following readings.
The North Natomas Library, 4660 Via Ingoglia, Sacramento, CA 95835
Contact Librarian, Suzy Murray, @ (916)264-2700 for more information.
5. Last week on March 6 we learned that the Nigerian writer Teju Cole won the PEN/Hemingway award for his debut novel Open City. With the award comes a wallet of $10.000 dollars. A writer can use that kind of money, ca pay a few bills. African writers celebrated this achievement, and I talked about it at a lecture I gave in Sacramento on March. I said I thought the American readership was opening to more African literature, and given that this is a huge market, I said I thought that was a good thing for African writers. And that book, it has been received well in America, has received all kinds good reviews and misreadings, has been much talked about, and is very available in many places where Chinua Achebe can be found. The North Natomas Library, 4660 Via Ingoglia, Sacramento, CA 95835
Contact Librarian, Suzy Murray, @ (916)264-2700 for more information.
6. The same week we learned about Teju Cole's PEN/Hemingway, we also learned that Zimbabwe's Peter Godwin, the author of the celebrated Mukiwa, is now the president of PEN America, a position that has been held by the Ghanaian scholar Kwame Anthony Appiah. Really another piece of great, something that put you in a writing rage, one that hammers the keyboard non-stop.
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