The National Book Critics Circle has announced the winners for the best books of 2012. They are as follows: in the fiction category, Ben Fountain for Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk; in nonfiction, Andrew Solomon for Far From the Tree; in autobiography, Leanne Shapton for Swimming Studies; in criticism, Marina Warner for Stranger Magic; in biography, Robert Caro for The Passage of Power, and in poetry, D.A. Powell for Useless Landscape, or A Guide for Boys.
Barnes and Noble says it has no plans to speed up its store closings over the next ten years, despite recent rumors to the contrary.
In addition to playing in the Roots at teaching at NYU, drummer and music impresario Questlove is taking on another project: writing a memoir. But lest you think the book will be only about him, think again. According to publisher Grand Central, Questlove will “hold forth on black history and the state of musical criticism, blending his tales of working with Jay-Z and Elvis Costello with meditations on their place in pop history.” Mo Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove will be out in June.
Debate continues to rage over the proposed redesign of the New York Public Library’s flagship Bryant Park branch.
The Morning News Tournament of Books (the literary world’s answer to March Madness) starts on Monday.
