The state of books coverage today

They tell me I’m uncultured, but I’ll always recognise a bit of Beethoven.

Comin’ right at you: The New Zoo Revue celebrates the Bicentennial youtu.be/PzXue5jC_yM?...

Let us all remember on this day above all days: a duck may be somebody's mother.

Annual reminder that one 4th of July spent in England, my mother-in-law took my husband aside to ask whether she should cook a turkey for me.

MERCH MADNESS!

One of the nice things about not owning a car is that when a car alarm goes off in the neigborhood, I only worry I'm to blame for two seconds.

The Drue Heinz prize for short fiction opens up for submissions today. upittpress.org/prize/drue-h...

Do I know anybody here with advice/knowledge about good ferries (small & large) in the west of England, Cornwall to Liverpool? I am researching myself but figured I would ask.

If you Google "Jack Benny" the results page identifies him as an "American Violinist," which seems borderline witty, if not an accurate description.

👋🏽👋🏽👋🏽 Black woman journo here who has covered multiple Grand Slams, including an ESPN Magazine cover story on Naomi Osaka and many pieces on the Williams sisters: I am available for commissions on Serena and Wimbledon! I was there for her final US Open match. I ask great questions!

For a Bicentennial block party in Des Moines, Iowa, I, age 9, dressed up as Patrick Henry & delivered all of his "Give me liberty or give me death!" speech. I live in England now so I probably won't recreate it.

I have been busily writing a novel for a couple of months now and I just realized I have forgotten chapters. I do not know what I'm doing.

I was sick of seeing JD Vance's memoir get all of the book coverage. So I asked a bunch of writers I know and love what recent books they think should get more attention. These are books for people who actually like to read. Please check them out! lithub.com/40-great-new...

RUN OF PALINDROME DATES Today is 6/25/26 Tomorrow is 6/26/26 Saturday is 6/27/26 Sunday 6/28/26 Monday 6/29/26

New from @liseolsen.bsky.social: An Austin essayist, and her dog, took a 10,000 mile journey across America in the footsteps of John Steinbeck. In her new book, Lauren Hough explores the landscape of a transformed and transforming country ...

We celebrated Father's Day by watching Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade. Our party included somebody who has just finished the first year of an archaeology degree, who was volubly upset with the casual abuse of ancient artifacts.

Idle question: do women writers get compared to great writers in reviews as often as male writers do? (This question occasioned by a very small sample size, IE, my household.)

Surely no marriage requires both an Ernest Borgnine and an Ethel Merman.

Meanwhile over lunch we have been casting our imaginary play about the short (real life) marriage of Ernest Borgnine and Ethel Merman.

Here is painting of my father when he & the world were young.

Has anyone ever been this obsessed with a reflecting pool since Narcissus?

Today in surprising words that mean different things in the UK & US: haberdashery

Near the Pultney Bridge, I crossed (probably a bit cheekily) in front of a turning bus. As he took the corner, the bus driver yelled out his window, "I'M BIGGER THAN YOU." "Beautiful synecdoche, my friend," I thought, but did not say.

I wrote, at last, about my friend Jim. elizabethmccracken.substack.com/p/jim

I learned last night that the UK has more extant shell grottos than any other country. This may be spurious information but the lady who said it seemed to know what she was talking about.

We have received some fantastic submissions, mainly from the US and UK, but are open until September 1st and are hungry for more! The Barbellion Prize celebrates and promotes writing that represents the experience of chronic illness and disability.

My heart stopped. It's like the sun going out! But apparently the Citgo sign will be reassembled higher up on the same building.

I am very chuffed to have won the PEN/Bernard & Ann Malamud Award. I really love short stories, both reading and writing. www.penfaulkner.org/2026/06/15/e...

Coming from @biblioasis.bsky.social in September “Seven Stories About Tammy” by the great Elizabeth McCracken! This is the first in a series of single short stories. The story was originally published in Zoetrope and included in the 2025 edition of The Best American Short Stories.

I think we can all agree that the worst thing about England is that people here eat cake with spoons.

Nothing makes me feel more like a member of the cultural elite (in a good way) than a museum membership.

I watched BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING, the documentary about Wayne White because I read that @austinkleon.bsky.social recommended it, and I absolutely loved it. (White is married to Mimi Pond, which I didn't know!) A great movie about living a life in the arts.

I'm thinking of getting back into social media.

Overheard at the Oxfam Book Shop: Young person #1: & that book still smells of smoke. Young person #2: It's sad, isn't it? Someday you'll sniff a book, and think, "This smells of raspberry vapes." It won't be the same.

On the left, a WWII mess hall poster that hangs in my kitchen: my Aunt Liz, 88 next month, is the little girl. On the right, a greeting card available on Etsy (located by my older kid).

A gorgeous review of an astounding book: @thelincoln.bsky.social on @debolinunferth.bsky.social's mind-blowing Earth 7. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/06/b...

Persepolis was read all over the world—a true international phenomenon. Assigned in every class subject under the sun. During the Obama years, West Point cadets were assigned the book. There's never been anything like it; never anyone like her. What an awful world that couldn't hold her longer.

Some context: my ball-&-chain has exceptional facial recognition skills. Two weeks ago he saw one second of the actor playing Dr. Oddly in Ball of Fire & said, "Isn't that Max from The Sound of Music?" He is skeptical about John Inman as Lady Capulet.

Can anybody come up with a clear photo of John Inman as Lady Capulet in Shakespeare in Love? (There's a disagreement in this household whether it's really him in an uncredited role.)

Lately I have received two emails from what I am almost positive from actual university students clearly written with AI, with telltale language like "I was especially struck by" & "lived experience" & "your voice feels both precise and deeply humane." Friends, what would you do?

I bring your the wonderful news that in East Anglia, a ladybug is known as a Bishy Barnabee.

The @thebarbedwire.com is a phenomenal publication. Any editor or newsroom leader would be a fool not to hire or commission pieces from Olivia and her team. Can't wait to see what's next for them.

I wrote about how I’m using AI to do my work (and, perhaps more importantly, not using AI to do my work). https://www.fastcompany.com/91550021/ai-assisted-journalism

A friend has sent me a picture of my old University of Texas, now officially not mine and empty of books.

This is Ken Paxton's mugshot. He was indicted on 3 felony counts for investment fraud. He was reported to the FBI by his own staff for bribery. He was impeached by his own party for corruption. Now he’s the Republican nominee for US Senate in Texas. Together we will stop him.

I know that there are much bigger worries in the world, but I was outraged today to learn that Mr. Peabody is purportedly a beagle.

Hello! To an literary agents there, is that the common wisdom that you shouldn't query in the summer still true? (Asking for an actual friend.)