Sunday Afternoon Links

“Mr. Eco,

I noticed that I’ve never seen a new novel blurbed by you. Is that because you’ve never been asked? Allow me to be the first! Please find attached my new breathtaking and magisterial novel Children of Parents. Blurb on and good luck with this exciting new medium.”

—Just one of the many amusing query letters for blurbs from “Judson Merrill Solicits Blurbs” at Electric Literature’s blog, The Outlet.

I’m Not a Racist But…

Plausible-Seeming But Tonally Inappropriate Book Covers (via)

“There is sweetness in telling teenagers to be brave, to stand up for love, and to slay the homophobic dragon. But authors smile through gritted teeth, so determinedly invulnerable that their happy endings invariably feel false.”

—From Sara Breselor’s essay, “Teenagers in Love” on lesbian young adult books. (via)

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LaToya Jordan is a writer from Brooklyn, New York. She is the author of the poetry chapbook, Thick-Skinned Sugar (Finishing Line Press, 2015) and her work has been listed as notable in Best American Essays 2016. Her writing has appeared in Mobius: The Journal of Social Change, Mom Egg Review, Poets & Writers, The Rumpus, and more. Visit her at latoyajordan.com.

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The Rumpus publishes original fiction, poetry, literary humor writing, comics, essays, book reviews, and interviews with authors and artists of all kinds. Our mostly volunteer-run magazine strives to be a platform for risk-taking voices and writing that might not find a home elsewhere. We lift up new voices alongside those of more established writers our readers may already know and love. We want to bring new perspectives into the conversation that will make us all look deeper.

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