April 2018

Jane Austen and the Law

April 30, 2018 admin 0

Since Jane Austen’s Emma was first cited in 1978, Jane Austen and her work — sometimes together, sometimes separately — have been mentioned many, many time in legal decisions? Why? Writing on Medium, Matthew H. Birkhold, professor of law, literature, and culture and author of the forthcoming book, Characters before Copyright (Oxford University Press) asks: Why Do So Many Judges Cite Jane Austen in Legal Decisions? Though it’s not something I’d ever thought about before, […]

The Connection Between Books and Ice Cream

April 29, 2018 admin 0

What book should you read based on the ice cream sundae you make? Well, there’s a quiz at BuzzFeed. And there appears to be some sort of formula, though we can’t discern what it is. The good part: people are talking books. And reading. And ice cream. Here’s the link.

Children’s Books: Ramadan: The Holy Month of Fasting by Ausma Zehanat Khan

April 22, 2018 admin 0

This year the holy month of fasting known as Ramadan runs from May 15th until June 14th. It occurs in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and in Islamic culture it is the most sacred month of the year. In a book aimed at eight to 13-year-olds, Ausma Zehanat Khan, a novelist who also holds a PhD in international human rights law, draws on personal experience, her own deep skill as a writer and […]

Ancient Astronomical Manuscript Will Highlight Christie’s Sale

April 21, 2018 admin 0

Collectors and admirers of old books will want to know about the discovery and imminent sale of an early al-Tusi astronomical manuscript which will go on the block at Christies in London this coming week. From the Christies blog: “In the world of ancient books and manuscripts, very often even the experts are unaware of the existence of important copies of key works. That was the case here,” explains Romain Pingannaud, specialist in Islamic Art, […]

Trump and the Bestseller List

April 16, 2018 admin 0

We’re not certain if this is depressing, interesting or worthy of hopefulness, but CNN lets us know that “Since January, each book at the top of The New York Times best-seller list has had one thing in common: President Trump.” From CNN Media: The No. 1 spot on The Times’ hardcover nonfiction list is incredibly coveted real estate in the publishing industry. Michael Wolff’s “Fire and Fury” landed there in mid-January thanks to explosive allegations […]

Kyra Sedgwick Directorial Debut Nominated

April 16, 2018 admin 0

Kyra Sedgwick has been nominated for the award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Miniseries for her work on Lifetime’s Story of a Girl, based on the novel by Sara Zarr. From Deadline Hollywood: …Lifetime’s Story of a Girl tells the story of a teen whose life is changed when a sex tape is released on social media. The TV movie marks Kyra Sedgwick’s directorial debut and even though she has never […]

Non-Fiction: TV Books A-Go-Go

April 12, 2018 J. Kingston Pierce 0

(Editor’s note: Perhaps not surprisingly, Southern California novelist and screenwriter Lee Goldberg — who’s concocted scripts for such notable television series as Diagnosis: Murder, Spenser: For Hire and Monk, and penned more than a dozen Monk TV tie-in novels — is a big fan of books about television history. Big enough, in fact, that he has penned a trio of his own contributions to that field. Below, Goldberg remarks on five volumes of TV history, […]

Literary Critic and Poet J.D. “Sandy” McClatchy Dead at 72

April 11, 2018 admin 0

Acclaimed poet and literary critic J.D. “Sandy” McClatchy died Tuesday night at home in Manhattan after a long battle with cancer. He was 72. McClatchy was the author of eight volumes of poetry, including Hazmat, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His most recent collection, Plundered Hearts, was published in 2014. He was the author of several collections of essays, and the editor or co-editor of dozens of volumes, including works by James […]

All-Star Cast Will Elevate Dolittle Film

April 2, 2018 admin 0

Hugh Lofting’s The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle came out in 1922. As Wikipedia notes, “It is nearly five times as long as its predecessor and the writing style is pitched at a more mature audience. The scope of the novel is vast; it is divided into six parts and the illustrations are also more sophisticated. It won the Newbery Medal for 1923.” Those who have been waiting for the film version don’t need to be […]

2001: A Space Odyssey Turns 50