“Companies keep betting on the next bestseller. Literature is poorer for it.”
publishing
The A.I. Romance Factory
“Genre fiction publisher Inkitt has influential backers and a vision for infinitely customizable A.I.-driven content. What would be left for the human creators?”
What Was A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius?
“Dave Eggers wrote a remarkable memoir, but its afterlife was even more extraordinary.”
A Controversial Rare-Book Dealer Tries to Rewrite His Own Ending
“Glenn Horowitz built a fortune selling the archives of writers such as Vladimir Nabokov and Alice Walker. Then a rock star pressed charges.”
The American Novel Has a Major Problem With Fat People
“Why does fiction do such a bad job of portraying fat characters?”
Days of the Jackal
How Andrew Wylie turned serious literature into big business.
Blue Daniel
“The more the Editor and I talked, almost daily, at this point, the more I sought ways to create space between us—asking about his children, talking about my boyfriend.”
Joan Didion’s Magic Trick
Caitlin Flanagan goes on a road trip through California — including Sacramento, Berkeley, and Malibu — visiting the homes of the late Joan Didion and exploring why her writing has had such a powerful effect on people. Slouching Towards Bethlehem and The White Album created a new vocabulary of essay writing, one whose influence is […]
‘This Is Going to Change the World’
“As the new millennium dawned, a mysterious invention from a charismatic millionaire became a viral sensation—then went down in flames. Ever since, I’ve wondered: Was it all my fault?”
