James McBride on Literary Celebrity, Brazilian Poetry, and More

Every day Poets & Writers Magazine scans the headlines—from publishing reports to academic announcements to literary dispatches—for all the news that creative writers need to know. Here are today’s stories:

“I was so stunned that I walked up there with my napkin in my hand.” Author James McBride discusses winning the 2013 National Book Award in Fiction and his long, challenging journey to literary celebrity. (New York Times)

In the Los Angeles Review of BooksPaulo Enriques Britto offers a sweeping and detailed analysis of the history and current state of poetry in Brazil.

“All writing, and in fact, it has been argued, all art, comes from an existential wound.” In the Millions, Chris Abani explores the artistic value and aesthetic of giving witness to trauma and the underlying reasons that compel writers to write.

From Saul Bellow to Virginia Woolf, the collection of correspondences in Letters of Note provides a unique perspective on the minds, thoughts, and personal relationships of notable authors. (Flavorwire)

“But I still read, insatiably, and she was there whenever I opened a book.” In the Huffington Post, Claire Fallon discusses the healing power of reading books and how literature helped her accept the death of her mother.

BuzzFeed offers a photo compilation of thirteen creative signs that Kaleido Books, an Australian bookstore, devised to entice readers to purchase books.

“As a critic, one has a duty to stand apart from conventional wisdom.” In the Guardian, Robert McCrum explores the many considerations and influences that impact creating a list of the top one hundred novels.