Around The Web: Agony Editor, Author Identity, Literary Maps and Cats!
Hello again, readers! September is upon us, which means a few things: summer is winding down; many parents, students, and teachers are starting a very unusual fall semester; we’re nearing the release of our fall titles… and the list goes on.
Whatever you’re up to these days, I hope you have room for reading. This week, I’m sharing an Agony Editor letter about relationships and support, an essay about author identity, a cool literary map, and an update on some library cats.
Agony Editor
If you’re not reading Quill & Quire’s Agony Editor, definitely check it out. It’s an advice column for writers and there’s often relatable issues discussed. Recently, a letter writer asked if they should bring up their writing with a friend, who initially seemed supportive but never actually said anything about the writing post publication. If you’ve had relationships like this, maybe you’ll find the editors advice helpful.
Becky Albertalli on Identity
Author Becky Albertalli is probably best known for her YA coming-out novel Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda. In a Medium essay, Albertalli discusses how Simon and her other novels have brought unwanted attention to and criticism of her own identity and how confusing that has been. She asks why we “cross the line between critiquing books and making assumptions about author identities?”—a question well worth considering in an age where well-meaning critique can be weaponized online.
Ocean of Books
On a lighter note, I came across this interesting map of “a sea of literature” recently. It shows authors as islands and books as cities, it and shows similar authors near each other based on their relationships on the internet. It’s a cool use of technology that shows us an image of our literary landscape.
Library Cats
