Jorge Amado, Poetry Foundation App, a Venice bookstore, and more

August 31, 2012

This week was full of new items worthy of our "Fun Finds and Inspiration" title. But don't forget to mark your calendars with the events listed under "For Your Calendar"!

News, Reviews, and Interviews

Should books be considered "sacred objects" that are used for only one thing—reading?

Where does the novel stand in the distant future? China Miéville ponders this question over at the Guardian.  

The New Yorker featured a new fiction piece by T. Coraghessan Boyle entitled "Birnam Wood" this week.

Brazil is currently celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Jorge Amado, whose works have been translated into 49 languages in 55 countries.

The "death of the novel" is a popular topic since the onset of the digital revolution. Read the Guardian's take on the issue from this week.

For Your Calendar

For anyone in the Norman or Oklahoma City areas, several famous authors will be speaking at OU's campus this semester for a Presidential Dream Course. 

Europa Editions hosts several events throughout the year in the New York area. Here's a list of events coming in the next month.

Fun Finds and Inspiration

Martin Boyd was a guest blogger at Intralingo this week, where he shared the story of how he was led to translation.

Sam Sacks from the New Yorker is calling for an end to acknowledgement pages in novels. 

The Poetry Foundation has developed their own iPhone app. Now you can take poetry wherever you go!

In case you ever wanted to throw an insult someone's way, but in a more awesome kind of way, here's a Shakespearean insult generator you'll absolutely love.

This image of "The Tree of Storytelling" details the evolution of storytelling from its very beginnings to its unknown futures.

Irene Rozdobudko shares how the story behind her book, The Lost Button, came to her one day.

We found a Tumblr with details about an unusual bookstore in Venice. They keep their books in boats and bathtubs to protect them from the yearly floods!