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Researchers Investigate What Makes A Poem Popular

Researchers from New York University and the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics found that vividness was the best predictor of the aesthetic appeal of a poem. The researchers were investigating what makes a poem aesthetically pleasing, and thereby higher-rated among readers. Four hundred participants read 111 haikus and 16 sonnets, rating the poems on vividness, emotional arousal, emotional valence, and aesthetic appeal, and poems where the reader strongly experienced images while reading ranked highest in their results.

Charlyne Yi Responds To Claims Of Defamation From Former Art Director at Penguin

Over the weekend, writer and actress Charlyne Yi responded to the resignation post Giuseppe Castellano published on his blog, which included a statement that Yi’s allegations of sexual harassment were “defamatory and false.” Giuseppe Castellano resigned from a position as Executive Art Director at Penguin Random House following Yi’s allegations. In response to Castellano’s statement, Yi posted on Twitter screenshots of correspondence related to the night in question, which included an apology for a weak moment, and details about the evening in question.

Bill Gates Recommends His Favorite 2017 Reads

Avid reader Bill Gates wrote about five of the best books he read this year. They included Thi Bui’s graphic memoir about life as a refugee and parent (The Best We Could Do), comedian Eddie Izzard’s memoir (Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens), and 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction recipient The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen. Check out the full list, and his thoughts on each, over at GatesNotes.

This installment of Today in Books is sponsored by A Duke in Shining Armor by Loretta Chase:

The New York Times Selects Its 10 Best Books of the Year

This list is probably the most prestigious media-selected book list of the year, and while I haven’t read all of them, the ones I have read are truly wonderful (Exit West, Priestdaddy, Sing, Unburied, Sing). If you are into literary fiction and non-fiction, then you could do worse than read these chosen 10.

Jenny Slate Writing Book of Feminist Fables

Actress, comedian, and director Jenny Slate signed a deal with Little, Brown for a collection of feminist fables to be published in 2019. The book doesn’t have a title yet, but the description sounds fascinating: “The witty and at times fantastical book imagines the perspectives of other preyed-upon creatures (a deer venturing into a meadow; a globe of fruit plucked from its branch), invites us into the haunted house of her childhood, and celebrates the power of being vulnerable and open, even in the face of rejection and fear.” 

4-Year-Old With Inoperable Brain Tumor Receives Hundreds of Books

When her parents found out that she had an inoperable brain tumor, they tried to think of giving her something to make her happy and to sustain her during the trying days of treatment and surgery ahead. So they asked their friends and family to make it known that Lena loves books and that building out her personal library would go a long way. The result? By word of mouth, and word of internet, people from all over heard Len’a story and she has so far received hundreds of boxes of books. Good for you Lena, and best of luck.

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay:

The Hate U Give Banned By School District

Angie Thomas, author of the critically acclaimed Young Adult novel The Hate U Give, announced on Twitter that a Texas school district banned her book. The thread turned up details from one Twitter user who wrote that the superintendent pulled the books due to parent complaints about “inappropriate language,” bypassing the normal review process. Authors, librarians, teachers, and fans have been showing their support, pledging to read, recommend, and distribute The Hate U Give in response to the district’s ban.

Kerry Washington and Rashida Jones To Adapt Goldie Vance

Kerry Washington and Rashida Jones are teaming up to adapt the comic series Goldie Vance for film. Washington will produce and Jones will write and direct the film for 20th Century Fox. Goldie Vance follows an intelligent and daring young woman whose insatiable curiosity and aspiration to become a detective get her into all sorts of capers, and trouble. Think Archie meets Nancy Drew, but starring a queer brown girl. “Goldie is exactly the kind of fearless, curious, and funny heroine we need right now,” Jones told Variety. Agreed!

And The Winner Of The Bad Sex In Fiction Award Goes To…

Christopher Bollen for his book The Destroyers. The Literary Review announced the winner of the 25th annual Bad Sex in Fiction Award at a ceremony on Thursday evening. Not leaving an excerpt of the winner here in case you’re in mixed company, or drinking something you’d rather not eject from your nose while reading this. Needless to say…it’s not good. The competition was pretty stiff too. Read the article for excerpts from the nominees–you won’t regret it. Oh wait, you probably will.