Round-Up: Mark Twain, George Saunders, and Barack Obama
From Mark Twain’s unpublished story to Former President Obama’s relationship with books, here’s the latest literary news.
Lena Dunham
A Writer Writer: The Writing That Counts
In an episode of HBO’s Girls titled “Free Snacks,” aspiring writer Hannah Horvath lands a job producing “advertorial” content at GQ. Characteristically sharp and observant, she immediately brainstorms circles around her coworkers; at this rate, they suggest, she could really make a name for herself. But Hannah isn’t interested. Hannah: I’m not looking to take…
The Ploughshares Round-Down: Why Lena Dunham’s New Book is Worth $3.5 Million
When I talk to a new potential client, one of the things we go over is potential advances. Most nonfiction writers get between $25,000 and $75,000; fiction writers, a fraction of that. Everyone who gets more than that did something remarkable to get there. During this conversation, many writers have joked to me that they’re hoping…