- Lincoln Michel presents his Grand Ballroom Theory of Literature and I am utterly delighted. (Counter Craft)
- Maris Kreizman reminds us that reading alone is not “a secret shortcut to empathy.” (LitHub)
- And here is the article by Tess Owen, about people hoping to help their MAGA parents find empathy again with book clubs, that Kreizman is responding to. (WIRED)
- Meanwhile, NPR‘s listener survey of books we read in high school that made an impact shows me the importance of required reading.
- Moudhy Al-Rashid takes us back to the dawn of writing in this fascinating excerpt from her book Between Two Rivers. (LitHub)
- Judith Tarr shares the not-so-science-fiction efforts of scientists to understand the clicking communication of sperm whales. (Reactor)
- Flavio Marzo shares his process (with pictures!) for rebinding a book from the eleventh century. (Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge)
- Polly Atkin addresses The Salt Path and tackles publishing and readers’ need for narrative arcs, no matter how unrealistic. (LitHub)
- Kelly Jensen is watching the dismantling of the US Institute of Museum and Library Services. (Book Riot)
- Nathalie op de Beeck explains Penguin Random House v. Gibson, which declares parts of Florida’s book banning legislation unconstitutional. (Publishers Weekly)
- Paul Jun has an exercise plan to resist AI slop and the ways it rots the brain. (Kimchi & Gabagool)
- OpenCulture reveals an amazing virtual tour of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
- Constance Grady reflects on how readers’ attitudes towards Lolita have changed over time. (Vox)
- Ella Creamer reports that the Polari Prize has been canceled. (The Guardian)
- …and a couple of censorship news round-ups, from the lovely folks of Book Riot: August 22 and August 29
