At Columbia Journalism Review, Allison Salerno explains how her own journalistic standards changed after interviewing undocumented immigrants for an article on a municipal policy in Georgia that withholds water service from residents without Social Security numbers.
On the centennial of his flight from Russia, Stacy Schiff examines the ways that Vladimir Nabokov’s life as a refugee influenced his writing.
Ruth Reichl talks to the LA Times about money, machismo, and her new book, Save Me the Plums. “I never found the restaurant culture one bit different than the publishing culture. We all knew about this macho culture in restaurants, but there was macho culture in newsrooms too,” she said. “You just took it for granted that men were going to come on to you, talk dirty to you. We accepted it, and we should never have. . . . I’m so happy that women aren’t accepting it anymore.”
Susan Orlean’s The Library Book has been optioned by Paramount Television and Anonymous Content. Orlean will write and produce the series along with director James Ponsoldt.
New York magazine has promoted features editor Noreen Malone and editor at large Genevieve Smith. Malone will take over as editorial director and Smith will serve as features director.
Republic of Consciousness Prize winners Will Eaves and Alex Pheby list their ten favorite “fictional works inspired by real lives.”
Literary Hub’s Emily Temple reflects on the intersection of writing, procrastination, and the Great British Baking Show. “If you’re a writer, there’s a particular charm to this show, even beyond the regular bountiful charm it has for other people,” she writes. “Baking is solitary, sensitive to mistakes, and ultimately a creative endeavor—and if you’re lucky, when you’re done, out pops something that someone else would want to consume. Unlike writing, however, baking is relaxing.”