Friday Folio: April 28, 2023
Tomorrow is Independent Bookstore day. Go forth and be (book) merry!
Publishing queen Nora Roberts made a very large gift to the EveryLibrary Institute to support the launch of Fight for the First, which advocates and organizes for protecting the First Amendment in libraries.
Related, from Bloomberg: how to protect your local library from book banning campaigns. My town hired a new librarian director who is doing great things, and I’m keeping an eye out to make sure it stays that way.
The essential Judy Bloom, via the New York Times.
The Times also talked to Steven Spielberg about revising old works and why he’s against it, which has been a big topic in the literary world. I didn’t know that he’d removed guns from federal agents’ hands and replaced them with walkie talkies in a 20th anniversary edition of E.T. (he regret it, so undid the change in the 30th anniversary edition).
I recommend this Q&A with agent Jevon Bolden on DEI in publishing from Publisher’s Weekly. I agree: no shrinking back, especially right now.
Also from Publisher’s Weekly: when the spoiler is the hook.
NPR talked to Dolly Parton about her new kids book. And who doesn’t want to listen to Dolly?
And to end on a fun one: a book was returned to the Mercer County Library System, which is in N.J., 44 years after it was checked out. Better late than never? (it re-appeared in a box of donations).
