PUBLISHING TODAY: A fascinating overview of what's going on in the marketplace was passed on to me via a friend on LinkedIn, and now I'm passing it on to you. Evan Hughes' overview of the publishing marketplace at Wired opens with an anecdote that falls into the "fairy tales do come true" category: It's the story of sci-fi author Hugh Howey, who started out as a self-published author and today is.... well, you'll have to read it for yourself. It's not all butterflies and sunshine in this report, but there are some things here to renew your optimism about the industry, no matter what the pundits keep saying about it in the papers.
NUANCE, NOT A HATCHET: Anybody can write a negative review, and some critics are especially good at wielding the hatchet when they don't like something. Striking a balance is more difficult, but Rebecca Lovatt manages to do just that in her review of Zachary Jernigan's sci fi/fantasy hybrid "No Return" at The Arched Doorway. She notes her problems with the book in a way that mixes nicely with what she appreciates about it. Life is hardly ever black and white, and reviewing, as this example reminded me, doesn't have to be, either.
COMING SOON TO CALL OF THE SIREN: What's it like to translate the work of a poet who's 700 years old? I talked to Andrew Frisardi, translator of Dante's pre-Commedia masterpiece, Vita Nova, for an upcoming interview post. You might have seen Frisardi's name on this blog before: He used the Call to respond to an unfair criticism of his Dante work. This, I can tell you, is good stuff. Primo. L'ultimo. If you enjoy listening to someone discuss their insights into the nuts-and-bolts of translation, this Q & A will definitely be for you. Stay tuned.