Navigating Self-Doubt, Top Ten Books of 2013, 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:

“While he has great political connections, Mr. Bromwich has no experience in antitrust law.” The Wall Street Journal dissects Michael Bromwich’s antitrust investigation of Apple over e-book pricing.

The venerable Tattered Cover Book Store will open four outlets at the Denver International Airport. (Shelf Awareness)

Slate lists its top ten books of 2013, including Rachel Kushner’s The Flamethrowers and A Prayer Journal by Flannery O’Connor.

“Self-doubt, like physical caution, is a useful prophylactic against serious error, but there’s a point at which it starts being more a cause of problems than a prevention.” In an essay for the New York Times Magazine, Mark O’Connell discusses a common challenge many writers experience: navigating one’s inner critic.

Meanwhile, on her blog, author Dani Shapiro discusses public perception and vulnerability.

Did you know that Marianne Moore tossed the first pitch at a Yankee’s game in 1968? The Spectator analyzes Linda Leavell’s new Marianne Moore biography, Holding On Upside Down, and offers a compelling assessment of the life and work of the famed poet.

The Business Insider showcases an interactive story map of Homer’s Odyssey, which includes an overlay of Odysseus’s travels on a modern map.