Yesterday afternoon John Updike's publisher, Knopf, announced that the author and critic had died of lung cancer, calling him, "one of our greatest writers," and stating, "He was a part ... Read More

The American Library Association announced that Neil Gaiman, perhaps most famous for his graphic novel series Sandman, won this year's Newbery Medal (the children's book equivalent of the Pulitzer) for ... Read More

Yesterday, HarperCollins announced that it has acquired its first three books through its online submission service, authonomy.com. authonomy was begun as a way to allow online readers to rate books ... Read More

Annie Dillard tells the story of a well-known writer who "got collared by a university student who asked, 'Do you think I could be a writer?' 'Well,' the writer said, ... Read More

As President-Elect Obama prepares for one of the most important speeches of his career, famed critic Michiko Kakutani tracks the books that shaped the future president's voice. His biography, Dreams ... Read More

A reader named Laura wrote in this week with a question that has left me stumped, and I hoped someone out there would have practical advice for her. She wrote, ... Read More

When I hear that even Texans are wrapping their water pipes against winter weather, I know it's time for one of my favorite writing exercises. "Winter Counts," from The Writing ... Read More

With so much talk about the economy, it's a good time to revisit an interview with Amanda Clayman, a psychotherapist specializing in financial wellness. For years, she has counseled artists ... Read More

We recently added profiles of the big five publishing houses: Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Penguin, Random House, and Simon & Schuster. As you'll see, it's a rather disheartening study in ... Read More