Murrysville woman finds author’s voice during pandemic with message of inclusion
One evening during the pandemic, Vivian O’Hara of Murrysville went to sleep with a lot weighing on her mind. “On the news they’d showed a story about a little boy, seven years old, who rescued his younger sister from a vicious dog attack,” said O’Hara. “He suffered a lot of...
Stephen King talks about crime, creativity and new novel
NEW YORK — Stephen King doesn’t think of himself as a horror writer. “My view has always been you can call me whatever you want as long as the checks don’t bounce,” King told The Associated Press during a recent telephone interview. “My idea is to tell a good story,...
Former aide to Gov. Cuomo pens essay with allegations of sexual harassment
ALBANY, N.Y. — A former aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo detailed accusations of sexual harassment against the governor in an essay Wednesday, alleging top female staffers “normalized” behavior that included unwanted kissing and touching. Lindsey Boylan, the former deputy secretary for economic development and special adviser to the governor, said...
Hillary Clinton, Louise Penny co-writing mystery novel ‘State of Terror’
One of the world’s better known fans of mystery novels, Hillary Rodham Clinton, is now writing one. Clinton is teaming up with her friend, the novelist Louise Penny, on “State of Terror,” which has a plot that might occur to someone of Clinton’s background: A “novice” secretary of state, working...
Beat poet, publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti dies at 101
Poet, publisher and bookseller Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who helped launch and perpetuate the Beat movement, has died. He was 101. Ferlinghetti died at his San Francisco home Monday, his son Lorenzo Ferlinghetti told The Associated Press Tuesday. Ferlinghetti was known for his City Lights bookstore in San Francisco, an essential meeting...
Penn Township woman’s novel weaves personal story into adult fictionVideo
A Harrison City woman has written a book that weaves elements of her life’s experiences into a novel about a woman dealing with trauma from an assault who eventually plots a way to exact revenge on the perpetrator. In “Other People’s Words,” Leslie Savisky has written a 300-page story that...
Author Haruki Murakami hosts live jam for relaxation amid pandemic
TOKYO — Japanese author Haruki Murakami has a remedy for those who need relaxation from stress and worries in time of a pandemic — Brazilian Bossa nova music. “As we are going through a time of anxiety, I hope to help you relax even just a little bit,” Murakami, 72,...
Squirrel Hill’s Amazing Books & Records to write a new chapter with moveVideo
Eric Ackland’s love of books came from before he was born. “I feel like I’ve been reading since the womb,” said Ackland, standing in the newest location of Amazing Books & Records in Squirrel Hill on Thursday. “My mom was an English teacher. I was reading by age 3. I...
New York Times covid-19 star writer is out following reports he used slur
NEW YORK — Donald G. McNeil Jr., The New York Times science reporter whose fame grew during the covid-19 pandemic, is stepping down following allegations that he used the N-word during a company-sponsored student trip to Peru in 2019. “We do not tolerate racist language regardless of intent,” Executive Editor...
NFL Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher has memoir out in June
NEW YORK — Hall of Fame coach and NFL analyst Bill Cowher has a book coming out in June that his publisher is calling “more than just a football story.” The former Pittsburgh Steelers coach, who led his team to a Super Bowl title at the end of the 2005...
Sewickley’s Penguin Book Shop hosting virtual discussion with Anne Corley Baum
Looking for a job? Then you might want to make sure you are near a computer at 7 p.m Feb. 11 when Anne Corley Baum will discuss her latest book, “Small Mistakes, Big Consequences for Interviews.” The virtual discussion is hosted by Sewickley’s Penguin Book Shop as part of its...
Former flight attendant lands 7-figure deal for 2 novels
A onetime flight attendant who conjured fictional nightmares during breaks on cross country red-eyes has a seven-figure deal for two novels. The Simon & Schuster imprint Avid Reader Press announced Thursday that T.J. Newman’s first book, the thriller “Falling,” comes out in July. The narrative is a horror story —...
Hunter Biden’s memoir ‘Beautiful Things’ out in April
NEW YORK — Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden and an ongoing target for conservatives, has a memoir coming out April 6. The book is called “Beautiful Things” and will center on the younger Biden’s well publicized struggles with substance abuse, according to Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon...
Plum elementary student writes his 1st horror book, hopes to make a series
A national writing contest and love of horror has inspired a Holiday Park Elementary student to pen his first book. Josh Ingram, 11, of Plum recently released “Light: A Forgotten Monster.” The self-published book tells a story about a group of juveniles at a sleepover. A friend of the main...
Wilkinsburg author Deesha Philyaw in running for 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction
Wilkinsburg author Deesha Philyaw is continuing to rack up literary accolades. Philyaw’s “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies” was named to the longlist for the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, America’s largest peer-juried literary prize, on Tuesday. In October, Philyaw’s story collection was named a finalist in the fiction category...
Merriam-Webster adds more than 520 new words to dictionary, including ‘COVID-19,’ ‘second gentleman’ and ‘sapiosexual’
Merriam-Webster, the United States’ leading language provider announced it was adding over 520 new words and definitions to the publisher’s website. These new words include “covid-19,” “second gentleman,” “long-hauler,” “flex,” “ASMR” and “sapiosexual.” Before the pandemic, “long-hauler” was defined as a person or vehicle that travels long distances, but it...
Interest continues to grow in inaugural poet Amanda Gorman
Within hours of Amanda Gorman’s reading of the inaugural poem last week, bookstores were hearing from their customers. “Hopefully this will be a bridge that brings a lot of people to poetry,” says Mike Wysock, who manages The Book Stall in Winnetka, Illinois. Interest in the 22-year-old Gorman and demand...
Munhall comic book creator Ed Piskor launching horror title ‘Red Room’Video
Munhall’s Ed Piskor knows his new comic book series “Red Room” isn’t for everybody. The gore-soaked, sci-fi/horror monthly series launches in May. Here’s the synopsis of “Red Room”: “In Red Room, criminals livestream murders on the dark web for fun and profit. The series will be told through a series...
Michaela Goade becomes 1st Native American to win Caldecott Medal
NEW YORK — Illustrator Michaela Goade became the first Native American to win the prestigious Randolph Caldecott Medal for best children’s picture story, cited for “We Are Water Protectors,” a celebration of nature and condemnation of the “black snake” Dakota Access Pipeline. “I am really honored and proud,” the 30-year-old...
Review: George Saunders offers a prolonged exercise in kindness
Have you ever wondered what makes a story great? George Saunders has, and at Syracuse University, where he has taught for more than 20 years, he takes his students under the hood of great fiction to show them how it works. Now, for the price of his latest book —...
Publisher drops book by Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley
NEW YORK — A planned book by Sen. Josh Hawley, who objected to President-elect Joe Biden’s win and backed baseless claims that the election was stolen, has been canceled by its publisher in the wake a Capitol siege in Washington by a mob of pro-Trump supporters, a decision the Missouri...
Harrison native’s book encourages readers to climb to new heights
Paola Corso recalled a walk through her late father’s neighborhood in Brackenridge. “Luckily, it was windy that day, and I spotted a pair of concrete steps under some leaves,” said Corso, a poet, photographer, literary activist and Harrison native. “I thought about the days my father and grandfather walked those...
Agent: Master spy writer John le Carre dies at 89
LONDON — John le Carre, the spy-turned-novelist whose elegant and intricate narratives defined the Cold War espionage thriller and brought acclaim to a genre critics had once ignored, has died. He was 89, Le Carre’s literary agency, Curtis Brown, said Sunday that he died in Cornwall, southwest England on Saturday...
Jerry Seinfeld digs into 45 years of his jokes for new book
LOS ANGELES — Forget the high-performance sports cars, the luxury Rolls-Royces and all those other classic automobiles in which Jerry Seinfeld ushers his fellow comics to the diner on television’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.” The most valuable things Seinfeld owns are the thousands of pieces of paper — yellow,...
Penguin snaps up Simon & Schuster, creating mega publisher
BERLIN — German media giant Bertelsmann said Wednesday that its Penguin Random House division is buying rival Simon & Schuster, in a mega deal that will likely reshape the U.S. publishing industry. Penguin Random House, already the number one American publisher, will buy the New York-based firm, whose authors include...
