Nashville Library Debuts “I Read Banned Books” Cards
The Nashville public library has debuted new library cards that celebrate banned books amid attempts to censor literature throughout the state of Tennessee. The bright yellow library cards say “I Read Banned Books,” and are available to all Nashville public library patrons. In a news release about the campaign, Nashville public library director Kent Oliver said, “This campaign is our way of bringing our community together in our shared Freedom to Read, which is essential to sustaining our democracy.” There are only 5,000 limited-edition cards available, and the Nashville public library hopes to distribute all of them by the end of May.
Copper is Building “the Instagram for Book Lovers”
New phone app Copper wants to build an online community around books, connecting authors and fans through in-app discussions and live events. Copper CEO Allison Trowbridge said, “You have Twitch for the gamers, and Etsy for the crafters, and Spotify and SoundCloud for the musicians. Authors have never had a platform that’s built around their needs, and helping them reach an audience and do it in a way that’s authentic and engaging and can scale, but also creates depth in the relationships.” Copper allows authors to host FaceTime-like discussions with readers and engage in text-based forum discussions with fans. Currently, there is only a free version of the app, but later this year Trowbridge hopes to release a premium version with more features.
Oprah Daily Reveals the Cover of Ian McEwan’s Upcoming Novel
Booker Prize-winning British writer Ian McEwan has a new novel coming out later this year, and Oprah Daily has an exclusive cover reveal. “The boy’s awkward and studious pose, his half-concealed face, his exposed nape, those short pants we were made to wear at school back in the 1950s—all speak to a tender vulnerability,” McEwan said of the cover of his new novel Lessons. “The nonrepresentational color and especially the boy’s formless but unreally brilliant shadow suggest a future self that will be pursued by memories of a piano lesson that profoundly altered the course of his life. Young Roland was 11, at boarding school, 2,000 miles away from home. His teacher, a young woman, touched him physically and mentally and set in motion something wild and mad. All this at a time when the world seemed about to destroy itself.” Knopf will publish Lessons on September 13th of this year.
What is Short Story Month and Why is it in May?
A look at the story behind May becoming short story month and some excellent short reads to celebrate.