Bella Swan is a Barbie doll and there are no women writers on PW's Top 10 Books of 2009 list - wait, the women's movement happened, right?
In today’s news, Publishers Weekly comes under fire for its male-dominated Top 10 Books of 2009 list, aspiring writers everywhere try to crank out 50,000 words in 30 days, and Bella Swan turns into a Barbie. Enjoy!
- Publishers Weekly has come under fire this week after releasing their list of Top 10 Books of 2009. Why are people upset? Because exactly 0 of the 10 books they chose was written by a woman. Putting the problem into well-articulated words is the relatively new literary group Women in Letters and Literary Arts (WILLA). WILLA’s founder Cate Marvin (who is also a poet and creative writing professor) says she was “speechless” when she saw the list, noting that new books came out this year from literary greats Lorrie Moore, Margaret Atwood, and Alice Munro, among others. The Guardian has more information about WILLA, the questions being raised, and Publishers Weekly‘s disturbingly indifferent response to the whole affair.
- On a lighter note, National Novel Writing Month (a.k.a. NaNoWriMo) has begun, encouraging would-be novelists nationwide to crank out 50,000 words (about 175 pages) by November 30th. Last year over 120,000 people participated in this writing madness, forming support groups online and devoting time each day to write. While the challenge jokes that “it’s all about quantity, not quality,” the time constraint forces people to just sit down and write, without the luxury of continuous editing and self-doubt. As the website emphasizes, “The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.” It may be November 6th, but it’s not too late to get in on the action. Check out their website for details and prepare to throw your excuses out the window.
- This week’s YA news on Omnivoracious also mentions NaNoWriMo and its big-name participants – authors Meg Cabot, Maureen Johnson, and Justine Larbalestier are getting involved, cranking out their own work and offering advice for young writers. Omnivoracious also discusses the upcoming theatrical release of New Moon, Twilight-themed dolls and back packs, and a glimpse into the parody Nightlight, for those readers who grow nauseous at the thought of a Bella Swan Barbie.
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