The husband of Labour Party politician Jo Cox, who was murdered last summer, will publish a memoir about her life. Brendan Cox said that the book was difficult to write, but “in an era of growing hatred and division I wanted to tell the story of someone who brought love and empathy to everyone she met.” Jo Cox: More in Common will be published by Two Roads on June 15.
The New York Times profiles Turkish novelist Asli Erdogan, who was imprisoned for six months and is now living with her mother in Istanbul while awaiting trial. Erdogan, who is not related to the Turkish president, was charged with supporting terrorism for serving as an adviser to a now-closed newspaper connected to the Kurdish movement. Erdogan says that she is now recognized on the street, and while that sometimes leads to “curses and lectures on patriotism,” it can also be positive. “Sometimes people put their arms on me and cry . . . I receive lots of love,” she said. “That is a big responsibility.”
The National Book Foundation announced the judges for the 2017 National Book Award yesterday. Fiction award judges include Dave Eggers, Jacqueline Woodson, Alexander Chee, while the nonfiction panel includes Jeff Chang, Ruth Franklin, and Paula J. Giddings. The deadline for submissions for the prize is May 17.
The Paris Reviewhas awarded the Plimpton Prize for Fiction to Alexia Arthurs for her 2016 story, “Bad Behavior.” The magazine also awarded the Terry Southern Prize, which honors “humor, wit, and sprezzatura,” to Vanessa Davis for her comic series, “Summer Hours.”
Steven Spielberg has signed on to direct The Post, a film about the Washington Post’s fight to publish the Pentagon Papers in 1971. Tom Hanks will play the role of Post editor Ben Bradley, while Meryl Streep will star as publisher Kay Graham.
At the Post, Erik Wemple wonders if White House reporters will be able to keep up with Trump. Wemple cites Trump’s most recent tweetstorm last Saturday as an example of the president keeping writers and editors on their toes, even on the weekend. At the New York Times, reporters work in teams of two from 6am until midnight for the duration of their “duty week,” after which they are assigned to less-intense coverage roles. Elisabeth Bumiller, the Washington bureau chief for the Times, says that this has become standard operating procedure for most organizations covering the White House. “It is completely unpredictable . . . and it’s relentless,” Bumiller said. “We’ve never covered this kind of a president before.”
Tonight at the Brooklyn Public Library, Pankaj Mishra talks about his new book, Age of Anger.