Don't worry, I'm not planning a return to all-links-all-the-time, promise. But I got waylaid by a little cold last week (which meant missing AWP–boo), and then had to deal with a deadline that needed vanquishing (vanquished!), and so today I'm closing some open tabs and playing catch up.
Also: thanks to everyone who checked in with us after the terrible storms that hit here late Friday. Both we and our families escaped unscathed. Others were not so lucky, and many of the hardest hit areas of the state are the ones least financially able to recover from such losses; here's a simple way to donate to the Red Cross's Kentucky-specific efforts, if you're so inclined.
- Banksy on advertising: "Any advert in a public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It’s yours to take, re-arrange and re-use. You can do whatever you like with it. Asking for permission is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head." Updated to add: Apparently Banksy ripped this off without attribution. Here's the info on the real source.
- The GORGEOUS book art of Brian Dettmer.
- Young women are pioneers of language: “If women do something like uptalk or vocal fry, it’s immediately interpreted as insecure, emotional or even stupid,” said Carmen Fought, a professor of linguistics at Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif. “The truth is this: Young women take linguistic features and use them as power tools for building relationships.” (Via Scott Westerfeld.)
- Headline of the week: Teen Exorcists Shopping Reality Show Can't Possibly Be Faking. (Via Robin Wasserman.)
- Tansy Rayner Roberts has a great post about why editing stresses her out (and why that's what she needs in order to do it). I love reading about other people's processes like this. (Don't most of us? Makes us feel less weird/crazy/alone.)
- The divine Sara Zarr has started a new podcast, The Creative Life, and hosts Tara Altebrando for the first episode.
- Five unsung heroes who changed modern life at Brainpicker.
- How to name your first novel at NPR.
- Kate Messner is officially a rock star; see this post about her TED talk last week. Can't wait until the full recording is available.
- China Miéville on apocalyptic London in the NYT.
- A must-read post from Megan Crewe (it's an older post recently unlocked; looking forward to her new book): "Very few journeys are smooth or straightforward."
- Speaking of things I can't wait to read: I hear wonderful things about the fabulous William Alexander's debut middle grade novel Goblin Secrets, which is out tomorrow. Just look at that cover: swoon! Pick it up. Check it out. Etcetera.
- Somebody in Dublin has St. Laurence O'Toole's heart. No, really. They stole it. (Via Kat Howard.)