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This week’s news in Venn diagrams. It’s the AWP Conference and Bookfair this week, and most of the Lit Hub staff has been in Baltimore. With the editors out of town, those of us not at AWP have been taking good care of the place, and

This week’s news in Venn diagrams.: It’s the AWP Conference and Bookfair this week, and most of the Lit Hub staff has been in Baltimore. With the editors out of town, those of us not at AWP have been taking good care of the place, and #BookNews #BookstoresandLibraries

A mini reading list to understand what’s happening in Iran. Today marks the seventh day of the unlawful U.S-Israel war against Iran. Like many a citizen, I’ve been struggling to understand what’s animating this latest burst of imperial violence. It’s hard to argue with un-reason. And with legal, moral, and

A mini reading list to understand what’s happening in Iran.: Today marks the seventh day of the unlawful U.S-Israel war against Iran. Like many a citizen, I’ve been struggling to understand what’s animating this latest burst of imperial violence. It’s hard to argue with un-reason.… #Events #History

Here’s what’s making us happy this week. Hello, weekenders. It’s been a minute. We’ve been holding our joy a bit too close to the vest over here at the Hub, with editorial apologies. But the good Fridays are back! Molly Odintz, our resident curious George, enjoyed a

Here’s what’s making us happy this week.: Hello, weekenders. It’s been a minute. We’ve been holding our joy a bit too close to the vest over here at the Hub, with editorial apologies. But the good Fridays are back! Molly Odintz, our resident curious George, enjoyed a #BookNews #Food

The Surprising Culprit Behind the Death of Reading Exploring the decline in literacy as a design problem, the star of the upcoming TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW adaptation, and more.

The Surprising Culprit Behind the Death of Reading: Exploring the decline in literacy as a design problem, the star of the upcoming TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW adaptation, and more.

Life on the Front Lines of America’s Caregiving Crisis There was a time when Jade thought, We can handle this. She first met John over the phone. It was 1990, and she worked for a California nursing agency, where she processed payroll. At the time, Jade was twenty-­six years

Life on the Front Lines of America’s Caregiving Crisis: There was a time when Jade thought, We can handle this. She first met John over the phone. It was 1990, and she worked for a California nursing agency, where she processed payroll. At the time, Jade was twenty-­six years #Features #Health

Find your next read in this dataset of international bestsellers. In most situations when I say “I need the data,” I’m referring to gossip, and it’s less of a “need” than what some would call a “messy curiosity.” But recently, I came across a Substack post analyzing a set of

Find your next read in this dataset of international bestsellers.: In most situations when I say “I need the data,” I’m referring to gossip, and it’s less of a “need” than what some would call a “messy curiosity.” But recently, I came across a Substack post analyzing a… #BookNews #NewsandCulture

Not-so-happy 100th birthday to Ireland’s Committee of Evil Literature. One hundred Februarys back, the Irish justice minister Kevin O’Higgins took it upon himself to “stem the tide of filth” coming into his newly free state. O’Higgins assembled the Committee of Evil Literature, which is unfortunately just what it sounds

Not-so-happy 100th birthday to Ireland’s Committee of Evil Literature.: One hundred Februarys back, the Irish justice minister Kevin O’Higgins took it upon himself to “stem the tide of filth” coming into his newly free state. O’Higgins assembled the Committee of Evil Literature,… #BookNews #Design

The Best Nonfiction Book of the 21st Century The epic oral history that reads like fiction, an A-Z guide to the language of romance, 2026 books in translation, and more.

The Best Nonfiction Book of the 21st Century: The epic oral history that reads like fiction, an A-Z guide to the language of romance, 2026 books in translation, and more.

Namwali Serpell on Approaching Toni Morrison’s Work As a Reader and a Critic Namwali Serpell is one of the most evocative, erudite, and original writers at work today. She mixes Gothic and Afrofuturist styles in The Old Drift, her first novel, a three-family saga that spans nearly two centuries of Zambian history. (My

Namwali Serpell on Approaching Toni Morrison’s Work As a Reader and a Critic: Namwali Serpell is one of the most evocative, erudite, and original writers at work today. She mixes Gothic and Afrofuturist styles in The Old Drift, her first novel, a three-family saga… #Biography #CraftandCriticism

Amidst Lawsuit, Utah Bans Its 23rd Book from All Public Schools On Friday the 13, Utah banned a Stephen King book from every school district in the state. That was Utah's 23rd state-sanctioned ban.

Amidst Lawsuit, Utah Bans Its 23rd Book from All Public Schools: On Friday the 13, Utah banned a Stephen King book from every school district in the state. That was Utah's 23rd state-sanctioned ban.

A Must-Read National Book Award Finalist That Can Be a Quick Read This finalist for the National Book Award in Poetry can be read in one day, but you'll want to linger over its brief, exquisite pages.

A Must-Read National Book Award Finalist That Can Be a Quick Read: This finalist for the National Book Award in Poetry can be read in one day, but you'll want to linger over its brief, exquisite pages.

10 Books That Resist Conventional Artist-Mother Narratives I first read Jenny Offil’s Dept. of Speculation when it was published in 2014. Reading it again after the birth of my first child, nearly a decade later, I was newly struck by her concept of the art monster: “My plan was to never get married. I was going to be an art monster instead. […] The post 10 Books That Resist Conventional Artist-Mother Narratives appeared first on Electric Literature.

10 Books That Resist Conventional Artist-Mother Narratives: I first read Jenny Offil’s Dept. of Speculation when it was published in 2014. Reading it again after the birth of my first child, nearly a decade later, I was newly struck by her concept of the art monster: “My plan was to never get…

Patriarchy Is a Serial Killer Stalking Its Own Golden Boys For decades, in a series of unsettling cases that have fascinated people around the country for their eerie similarities, young men who fit a certain “all-American” profile have been found dead in frozen bodies of water. White, college-aged, traditionally attractive, and presumably cishet, they tend to be good at school and sports and are often […] The post Patriarchy Is a Serial Killer Stalking Its Own Golden Boys appeared first on Electric Literature.

Patriarchy Is a Serial Killer Stalking Its Own Golden Boys: For decades, in a series of unsettling cases that have fascinated people around the country for their eerie similarities, young men who fit a certain “all-American” profile have been found dead in frozen bodies of water. White,…

Letter from Minnesota: The Season of Los Helados For Latinos, the fear of racist helado violence lives in our bones, as does our ancestral resistance Los helados. That’s what my community is calling ICE in Minnesota. The season of los helados. The cold-hearted cruel ones. The ones who

Letter from Minnesota: The Season of Los Helados: For Latinos, the fear of racist helado violence lives in our bones, as does our ancestral resistance Los helados. That’s what my community is calling ICE in Minnesota. The season of los helados. The cold-hearted cruel ones. The… #Features #Politics

7 New Aromantic Books Out in 2026 It's It's Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week! Here are seven new books out in 2026 about people on the aromantic spectrum.

7 New Aromantic Books Out in 2026: It's It's Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week! Here are seven new books out in 2026 about people on the aromantic spectrum.

The Play’s the Thing: 5 Great Sci-Fi Books About Competitions These sci-fi books are about competitions with real stakes, from war games to an intergalactic singing competition to the death.

The Play’s the Thing: 5 Great Sci-Fi Books About Competitions: These sci-fi books are about competitions with real stakes, from war games to an intergalactic singing competition to the death.

Criminal Charges for Georgia Library Workers, and More Library Updates A revived Georgia bill would hold librarians criminally responsible for distributing "harmful materials" to minors—plus more library news.

Criminal Charges for Georgia Library Workers, and More Library Updates: A revived Georgia bill would hold librarians criminally responsible for distributing "harmful materials" to minors—plus more library news.

Bombing in the Breadline: A Day in the Life of the Average Gazan It was a quiet night of genocide in the Gaza Strip. The clock showed 3:30 AM. I was deep in sleep, something we’d been deprived of for many days since the war began, when my wife, heart of my heart,

Bombing in the Breadline: A Day in the Life of the Average Gazan: It was a quiet night of genocide in the Gaza Strip. The clock showed 3:30 AM. I was deep in sleep, something we’d been deprived of for many days since the war began, when my wife, heart of my heart, #Features #Memoir

Sheila Heti on Torborg Nedreaas’s Nothing Grows by Moonlight It’s a common story. A young, inexperienced girl falls in love with an older, more experienced man. He takes her virginity, lets her fall in love with him, but does not love her as exclusively, as fatally, as she loves

Sheila Heti on Torborg Nedreaas’s Nothing Grows by Moonlight: It’s a common story. A young, inexperienced girl falls in love with an older, more experienced man. He takes her virginity, lets her fall in love with him, but does not love her as exclusively, as fatally,… #CraftandCriticism #Excerpts

Suffering Under the Speaker: On Louise Glück, Garth Greenwell, and Vocal Duality Two or three times a month, I receive a voicemail from some unfamiliar number in Kentucky. Beneath the number, my phone screen lists the county of origin. McCracken County. Danville. Pikeville. Lexington. And recently, a town or county I hadn’t

Suffering Under the Speaker: On Louise Glück, Garth Greenwell, and Vocal Duality: Two or three times a month, I receive a voicemail from some unfamiliar number in Kentucky. Beneath the number, my phone screen lists the county of origin. McCracken County.… #CraftandAdvice #CraftandCriticism

Letter From Minnesota: Going From the Nightmare to the Poem Living in Minneapolis right now feels like a waking nightmare. I write this on Friday, February 7, 2026, one day after I witnessed an active abduction on the 46th Street bridge over 35W Interstate. I had just dropped off my

Letter From Minnesota: Going From the Nightmare to the Poem: Living in Minneapolis right now feels like a waking nightmare. I write this on Friday, February 7, 2026, one day after I witnessed an active abduction on the 46th Street bridge over 35W Interstate. I had just dropped… #Features #Politics

Meet the Father of Modern European Fascism: The Marquis de Morès For nearly half a century, the people of Cannes had called the garden “the Morès Garden”—that is, ever since the marquise, tragic widow of the legendary Marquis de Morès, had holed up in the Château de la Bocca, a stone’s

Meet the Father of Modern European Fascism: The Marquis de Morès: For nearly half a century, the people of Cannes had called the garden “the Morès Garden”—that is, ever since the marquise, tragic widow of the legendary Marquis de Morès, had holed up in the Château de la Bocca,… #Biography #Features

Eight Books About the Ups and Downs of Friendship Almost everyone has at least one friendship breakup they still think about. I know I do, and maybe you do too. When I realized there weren’t many books out there that looked closely at friendship—in all its highs and lows—I

Eight Books About the Ups and Downs of Friendship: Almost everyone has at least one friendship breakup they still think about. I know I do, and maybe you do too. When I realized there weren’t many books out there that looked closely at friendship—in all its highs… #CraftandAdvice #CraftandCriticism

The Origin of Prince’s Iconic Sound The rise of rhythm and blues and funk in Minneapolis grew out of the apartheid system put in place in the first half of the twentieth century. The network of Black clubs, bars, and music venues created during this period

The Origin of Prince’s Iconic Sound: The rise of rhythm and blues and funk in Minneapolis grew out of the apartheid system put in place in the first half of the twentieth century. The network of Black clubs, bars, and music venues created during this period #Biography #Features

Gisèle Pelicot, Namwali Serpell, Jon Meacham, and more: 21 new books out today! I hope everyone enjoyed a hard-earned three day weekend amidst the relentless winter. At the very least temperatures were not dancing around the -15 range, and for this we must celebrate. This Tuesday we welcome a long-awaited biography of Toni

Gisèle Pelicot, Namwali Serpell, Jon Meacham, and more: 21 new books out today!: I hope everyone enjoyed a hard-earned three day weekend amidst the relentless winter. At the very least temperatures were not dancing around the -15 range, and for this we must… #CraftandCriticism #LiteraryCriticism

The #1 Rule for a Community Lending Library Don't bring crap.

The #1 Rule for a Community Lending Library: Don't bring crap.

What Science Reveals About the Many Facets of Desire Falling into the limerent habit Desire is a curious thing. Some desires are easily satisfied—they pass quickly after they are successfully gratified, and rarely intrude into our consciousness. A lazy afternoon at the beach is a pleasure, but one we

What Science Reveals About the Many Facets of Desire: Falling into the limerent habit Desire is a curious thing. Some desires are easily satisfied—they pass quickly after they are successfully gratified, and rarely intrude into our consciousness. A lazy afternoon at the… #Features #NewsandCulture

Katie da Cunha Lewin on the Joys of Quiet, Communal Writing This first appeared in Lit Hub’s Craft of Writing newsletter—sign up here. I spent many years looking for a place where I could write. In the second year of my PhD, I wandered round London, unsure of where best to work. I

Katie da Cunha Lewin on the Joys of Quiet, Communal Writing: This first appeared in Lit Hub’s Craft of Writing newsletter—sign up here. I spent many years looking for a place where I could write. In the second year of my PhD, I wandered round London, unsure of… #CraftandAdvice #CraftandCriticism

Harlequin Ending Historical Fiction Line Hament selling, Harlequin historicals ending, and more of the day's book news.

Harlequin Ending Historical Fiction Line: Hament selling, Harlequin historicals ending, and more of the day's book news.

Poetry Reminds Me of the Holes in My Memory Caesura by Victoria Kornick One of the most common symptoms of an oncoming grand mal seizure is the sense that it has happened before. Déjà vu, like an epileptic seizure, begins as a disturbance running through the temporal lobe of the brain. The sensation of déjà vu, in itself, can be a small seizure. It […] The post Poetry Reminds Me of the Holes in My Memory appeared first on Electric Literature.

Poetry Reminds Me of the Holes in My Memory: Caesura by Victoria Kornick One of the most common symptoms of an oncoming grand mal seizure is the sense that it has happened before. Déjà vu, like an epileptic seizure, begins as a disturbance running through the temporal lobe of the brain. The…