We here at the Independent love every piece we run. There are no winners or losers. Seriously, though, here are January’s winners.
- “Not Another ‘Most Anticipated Books of 2020’ List!” by Lupita Aquino. “But after reading through the 20th list of ‘Most Anticipated Books,’ I noticed a trend. The same titles are featured over and over, with few exceptions. Also, unless the lists are demographic-specific — e.g., ‘Most Anticipated Queer Books’ or ‘Most Anticipated Books by Latinx Authors’ — they overwhelmingly highlight white writers. Which makes you wonder: How are these lists determined? Specifically, who decides the must-reads of the year, and how do they make their selections? On a personal level, how do I determine which books to prioritize? How do I decide which ones may truly resonate with me?”
- “American Dirty” by E.A. Aymar. “I understand the concern from Albom and others. There’s a chance that some of the classics we’ve cherished may be exposed as fraudulent by today’s standards. There’s a fear that future writers will need to be extra cautious, and overly sensitive, when writing about people outside of their immediate understanding. And yes, that’s it exactly. That should be the case. It’ll make for better books.”
- The 2020 Washington Writers Conference. Our panels are set, the agent roster is filling up, and excitement is building for the DC area’s premier writing event, which happens May 8-9 in North Bethesda, MD. Remember: Last year’s conference sold out, so don’t wait! Register NOW.
- “What’s in a Name?” by Elizabeth Foxwell. “The panorama of today’s mystery offerings can be bewildering, given the myriad categories and classifications. Definitions inevitably provoke debate, but researchers often turn to the work of critics and scholars such as Jon L. Breen, Howard Haycraft, H.R.F. Keating, and Julian Symons for help in painting the landscape. What follows below can serve as a starting point in understanding the many variations of the mystery form.”
- “Love’s Letters Lost (and Found)” by Sara Fitzgerald. “The vagaries of love were on full display last week when Princeton University Library unveiled the largest trove of unpublished writings of the Nobel Prize-winning poet T.S. Eliot after a 50-year embargo. The 1,131 letters were the gift of Emily Hale, a speech and drama teacher and talented amateur actress who, in a strange twist, that same day, January 2nd, was formally acknowledged by Eliot as the first woman he loved.”
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