He is stepping into a new phase in his career -— winning a Pulitzer Prize and maybe a second Tony while writing the Prince musical “Purple Rain.” Read more
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Category: Miscellaneous
Tool To Identify Poisonous Books Developed by University of St Andrews
Historically, publishers used arsenic mixed with copper to achieve a vivid emerald green colour for book covers. While the risk to the public is “low”, handling arsenic-containing books regularly can lead to health issues including irritation of the eyes, nose and throat along with more serious side-effects. The toxic pigment in the book bindings can flake off, meaning small pieces can easily be inhaled. Read more
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A Gardener Stumbles Upon Hidden Treasure in a Vermont Park
Ms. Wakefield, 46, soon learned that she had stumbled upon a treasure chest intentionally hidden by Michael Cloherty O’Connell, the author of two history books that led readers on scavenger hunts around the Northeast. Read more
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How an AI-Generated Summer Reading List Got Published in Major Newspapers
Some newspapers around the country, including the Chicago Sun-Times and at least one edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer have published a syndicated summer book list that includes made-up books by famous authors. Read more
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This Book Club Has Been Reading the Same Book for 12 Years. They’re Not Even Close to Done.
The Finnegans Wake Reading Group of Austin, TX reads one page every other week. Read more
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12 Famous Writers From History and Their Favorite Cocktails
In researching the drinks of choice for some of history’s greatest writers, I realized that many of the cocktails they once enjoyed now offer a fascinating glimpse into their individual personalities, preferences, and even their writing style. Read more
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The Hobo Handbook
The name of the book is a ruse. Camping on Low or No Dollars, the dingy cover page reads. An older edition bears a similarly anodyne title: From Birmingham to Wendover. Both are a misdirection, intended to keep the wrong people—cops, journalists, nosy normies like me—from realizing what they’re holding. The Crew Change Guide is a set of best practices and guidelines for hopping freight trains anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. A “crew change” refers to a train’s personnel shift, a brief window of opportunity for those brave enough to take it. In the heist movie, this is that ten-second gap after the night watchman clocks out and before his replacement takes over. For a train hopper, it’s a rare chance to clamber up a wagon undetected. Read more
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The Polish Resistance Hero Who Infiltrated Auschwitz
In September 1940, the Polish underground resistance fighter Witold Pilecki undertook a monumental act of bravery: He volunteered to allow the Nazi forces occupying Poland to arrest him, in the expectation that they would incarcerate him in the Auschwitz concentration camp. Read more
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Fantasy Novels for People Who Think They Don’t Like Fantasy
Interested in dipping your toe into the genre? The author Leigh Bardugo recommends books that can get you started. Read more
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NaNoWriMo is No Mo
The nonprofit behind National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, has announced that it is shuttering. The closure follows a period of turbulence which included disputes over the organization’s stance on AI and its content moderation, as well as what NaNoWriMo described in an announcement as financial challenges. NaNoWriMo was launched by Chris Baty in 1999 as an online community centered around its flagship annual monthlong novel-writing challenge, in which participants attempted to write 50,000 in 30 days. It continued to grow year over year—at its height, hundreds of thousands of writers around the globe participated in the challenge, facilitated by scores of volunteers who oversaw online forums and local gatherings—and became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2005. Read more
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