Algonquin Books Senior Editor Kathy Pories talks about the Bellwether Prize, the publication prize founded by Barbara Kingsolver to recognize literature that addresses issues of social justice. Algonquin published two Bellwether Prize winners–Hillary Jordan‘s Mudbound and Heidi Durrow‘s The Girl Who Fell from the Sky–to great success. Mudbound has over 170,000 copies in print andContinue reading
Five years ago, I stood on the periphery of the Duke University Chapel during the North Carolina Literary Festival, straining to hear the speaker. I was on the periphery because the chapel was packed full, so that many of us had spilled outside the large cathedral doors. On the stage, about the size of myContinue reading
For the last few weeks my to-do list has read something like this: Pack Unpack Write thank you notes Finish essay Laundry Wash dishes Pick up dry cleaning Try to get to gym! But last week, I set aside all those everyday tasks because it was time to glam up for the NAACP Image Awards.Continue reading
Welcome to the Algonquin Book Club! Each year we’ll be featuring four Algonquin Book Club selections at literary events held around the country and simultaneously webcast on our site. For each event, an Algonquin author will be interviewed by a notable writer. The line-up for 2011 includes: 3/21: Julia Alvarez (In the Time of theContinue reading
Today on the blog, Heidi Durrow, author of The Girl Who Fell From The Sky, and Jamie Ford, author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, talk writing methods, Twitter madness, and the things they won’t write about…not yet, anyway. . Heidi: Jamie, I’m so thrilled to be able to chat with youContinue reading
AWP doesn’t really stand for awesome writers party, but it sort of should. I’m in the midst of my vintage beaded sweater and red cowboy boots tour but I’m reporting from the confines of my Chicago hotel. Held in two huge hotels (there were actually guides along the way to shepherd all the lost soulsContinue reading