Memoirist, must-read blogger and contributing editor to The Atlantic Ta-Nehisi Coates talks about what the American Dream means to him.

• I really miss living in NYC. I love FL — I'm a native, after all — but NYC was an amazing place for a book lover to live. #
• RT @SmartBitches RT @BordersNYC: It's E. Lynn Harris day. Borders Columbus Circle has reading tonight, 7pm http://ow.ly/qmoU #
• Ordered books a few days ago from Amazon for 1st time in months and months (since long before #amazonfail). Hope they get here soon… #
• @mikecane Yes, and yes! Easing my way back in… #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

• I know it’s the Hot New Thing for the grown and sexy, but I still have a really hard time with trying to get into young-adult literature. And yes, I do think I’m just too old.
• An e-book search engine
• Is it any surprise to anybody that the new Dan Brown book is No. 1 on all the best sellers lists? Nope, still not gonna read it.
• The New Yorker is blogging its archives
• Some resources for enjoying a literary Hispanic Heritage Month
• Are some authors being bullied to place specific booksellers’ links on their Web sites?

Yikes.

As excited as I am that there will be expanded access to some of these books, Google’s power-grab here makes me uncomfortable.

Excellent news!

Edwidge Danticat, author of such critically acclaimed works as the awesome Krik?Krak! and the touching Brother, I’m Dying, has been awarded a MacArthur Genius Grant.

What a wonderful gift. Like the other 23 awardees, Danticat will receive $100,000 — with no strings attached — each year for five consecutive years.

If you want to learn more about Danticat and her work, see a video of her talking about Brother, I’m Dying.

I continue to wonder what calculations large — and small, for that matter — book publishers must take into account when determining what books to publish.

Barnes and Noble Review has an insightful piece up about just that. It’s worth the read.

• RT @raquelita Free books RT @alizahausman Hispanic Heritage Month Giveaway. Get free books here! http://bit.ly/ZryDY #
• Don't know who he is? Google him —–> @MsJayye: #TIBH – 1889 – Claude McKay was born on this day. (via @AroundHarlem) #
• RT @alexiscentric: needs to get in contact with writer Carolyn Marie Rodgers. Ideas? Email, DM, etc. Thanks! #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

Looks as though The Queen of All Media has chosen a short-story collection by the Nigerian Jesuit priest Uwem Akpan as her next book club selection.

Say You’re One of Them, which has been mentioned here before,  is mostly stories about children suffering from violence, starvation and other ills. It is heartbreakingly sad, but at the same time, incredibly uplifting.

I generally look askance at TQOAM’s book club choices, but I [*gulp*] approve of this one.

• RT @claudia_m RT @carleenbrice Jill Scott will play the mother in Lifetime movie of my 1st novel Orange Mint & Honey, "Sins of the Mother"! #

Powered by Twitter Tools.