News - Literary News

News - Literary News

February 19, 2021

THE PROPHETS by Robert Jones Jr. was featured in the Irish Times. Ruth McKee raves: "[THE PROPHETS] is an intimate portrayal of the relationship between the two men, written in language that is sumptuous, lyrical but with sharp teeth. It is a sweeping story, encompassing interconnected lives on the plantation, from kitchen maid to preacher, but it’s also interior, visionary and searching. Unflinching and brutal at times, it pays homage to the revelatory power of love. The writing is heir to James Baldwin and Toni Morrison and bears witness to the heritage of queer black men; the story has always been there, but is told now for perhaps the first time, in voices that sing, deep as a well." G.P. Putnam’s Sons published the book on January 5, 2021.

February 19, 2021

Conor Dougherty’s latest piece for The New York Times, “The Californians Are Coming. So Is Their Housing Crisis,” previews some of the ideas in his new preface to GOLDEN GATES. He writes: “The action might be local, but the message should carry nationwide: The only way to solve the housing crisis is to address it in every city it visits. Otherwise we’re just spreading it around.” Penguin Press published the hardcover on February 18, 2020, and published the paperback edition with the new preface on February 16, 2021.

February 19, 2021

Brian Muraresku’s THE IMMORTALITY KEY is the focus of a 13-minute animated video titled “The Best-Kept Secret in History,” created by the popular YouTube channel After Skool. The video currently has 250,000+ views. St. Martin’s Press published the book on September 29, 2020.

February 19, 2021

CROSSING THE LINE author Kareem Rosser joined TODAY’s Sheinelle Jones to talk about how the “Work to Ride” program at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia led to his becoming a polo star. He also discussed his memoir with Joe Donahue on WAMC’s Roundtable and with CBS News' Jeff Glor. St. Martin’s Press published the book on February 9, 2021.

February 19, 2021

Nicholas Kristof, co-author of TIGHTROPE, appeared on the PBS podcast Attribution. He discusses how TIGHTROPE “explores why some people, including many childhood friends from his #6 school bus, have dramatically different life outcomes than others. The deeply honest and personal conversation delves into the friends, lives and what contributed to [his] success.” Knopf published the book on January 14, 2020.

February 12, 2021

HUSH author Dylan Farrow was featured in the Elle Magazine profile “Dylan Farrow Would Like to Reintroduce Herself.” Jada Yuan writes: “[T]he first time we talked, late last year, it hadn’t quite sunk in for [Farrow] that she had her own debut young adult fantasy novel, HUSH, on bookshelves like the ones she’d perused as a teenager. In a lot of ways, the release of HUSH has served as a debut for the 35-year-old author as well, in her new life as a full-time writer and working mother, defined by no one but herself.” Wednesday Books published the novel on October 6, 2020.

February 12, 2021

THE PROPHETS by Robert Jones Jr. continues to receive a wealth of praise from various outlets. The New Yorker’s Briefly Noted calls the book “a panoramic vision of love and cruelty.” The Rumpus features the novel as part of its Black History Month reading list, writing: “THE PROPHETS masterfully reveals the pain and suffering of inheritance, but is also shot through with hope, beauty, and truth, portraying the enormous, heroic power of love.” Spy lists the book on its “Best and Most Anticipated Books of 2021,” writing: “Told with a lyricism that echoes Toni Morrison, Robert Jones Jr. has crafted a subtle masterpiece that will leave you mesmerized for days afterward. Enjoy one of the best books 2021 has to offer.” Jones Jr. was also interviewed for the Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books podcast, where he spoke about "adopting James Baldwin as a spiritual godfather, how a serendipitous find inspired ‘The Prophets,’ and what it means to be a black queer writer." G.P. Putnam’s Sons published the book on January 5, 2021.

February 12, 2021

An excerpt from Joan Didion latest essay collection, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I MEAN, was published in the Guardian, along with an essay about the author titled “California Cool and Magical Thinking: Joan Didion at 86.” Knopf published the book on January 26, 2021.

February 12, 2021

Variety announced on February 5 that BIRDS OF PREY director Cathy Yan will write and direct an adaptation of GOODBYE, VITAMIN author Rachel Khong’s short story, THE FRESHENING. Actress and comedian Ali Wong, who is set to produce, says: “I was so haunted by Rachel Khong’s compelling and high concept story when I read it. THE FRESHENING is unlike anything I’ve ever worked on and I’m thrilled to develop it into a film with everyone involved. From the beginning, it was my dream for Cathy Yan to write and direct this project and I’m so incredibly grateful it came true.” The Paris Review originally published THE FRESHENING in Fall 2018, and GOODBYE, VITAMIN was published by Henry Holt and Co. on July 11, 2017.

February 12, 2021

GOLDEN GATES author Conor Dougherty published an op-ed in the New York Times titled “Pandemic’s Toll on Housing: Falling Behind, Doubling Up.” Dougherty writes: “As the pandemic enters its second year, millions of renters are struggling with a loss of income and with the insecurity of not knowing how long they will have a home...The nation has a plague of housing instability that was festering long before Covid-19, and the pandemic’s economic toll has only made it worse. Now the financial scars are deepening and the disruptions to family life growing more severe, leaving a legacy that will remain long after mass vaccinations.” Penguin Press published GOLDEN GATES on February 18, 2020.