Talk Like Shakespeare Day

Be clamorous, knaves and rogues; Sirrah and Mistresses; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. 'Tis Shakespeare's 445th birthday! Thither, get thee to http://www.talklikeshakespeare.org

Put a Poem in Your Pocket

April is National Poetry Month. Check out the website from the Academy of American Poets. Events include Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 30. What poem will you carry in your pocket?

Inaugural Poet

Elizabeth Alexander was chosen to read at next month's presidential inauguration. Read her poetry at Hunter Library and at her website http://www.elizabethalexander.net/poems.html. According to the Washington Post, Alexander will be the first poet to read at an inauguration since 1997.

Bad Sex and Good Books

It is time again for the Bad Sex in Fiction award! This year's winner, Rachel Johnson, proved that women can write bad love scences just as well men, thank you very much. Read all the nominated passages at the award's sponsoring organization, The Literary Review. John Updike also received a lifetime achievement award for bad sex in fiction, according to the Guardian.

In other literary news, the National Book Award winners were announced in November, including Shadow Country by Peter Matthiessen (best fiction). Also, the New York Times released their annual list of notable books.

Summer Reading 2008

Publications like Real Simple and The Guardian ask notable authors (and sometimes librarians and booksellers) to recommend summer reading. The idea [I think] is that these people are in the know about the current literary scene. But what actually happens? Many of them chicken out and choose the old, pre-approved standby novels that most of us read in school. So if you are the type who likes to read War and Peace or Machiavelli while you are lounging poolside, check out those lists.

For everyone else, here are my favorite reader's advisory pages for actual summer reading:

• NPR Summer Books – your best bet – includes nonfiction, fiction, cookbooks, and more
• Slate – Finally some brave authors recommend true beach reads!
• Powell's New Favorites – Powell's also has great blogs
• Leisure Reading in Hunter Library – shameless plug for our staff picks!
• Salon has a weekly Summer Reads column. Here’s one to try

See also:

Worth Reading, a great blog, has compiled a lovely list of summer reading lists.

Democracy in Action

If you are too highbrow to vote for anyone on American Idol or Dancing With the Stars, you can vote for your favorite Man Booker Prize winner! The shortlist of the best Booker winners in 40 years is here: http://www.themanbookerprize.com/news/stories/1021

All the fun, without those tedious "results" shows!

Haven't read any of these? Check out the best books of the British Commonwealth at Hunter Library!

"Howl" Recording from Reed College

The earliest known audio recording of Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" was discovered in the archives at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Listen to it online! http://web.reed.edu/news_center/multimedia/index.html