Because a lot can happen in one week and we think it’s worthy to tell you about it, we’re starting a new feature called Midweek Pick-Me-Up. Every Wednesday we sum up the week’s lit & culture news and then help to push you through the rest of the week with a pick-me-up, which is a folksy way of saying we show you a funny video, story, or webcomic.
The demise of Reading Rainbow, more discussion about digital readers (as if you haven’t had enough already), and some freaky Twilight-inspired cover art for a classic novel, and more after the jump.
Reading Rainbow had its last episode ever this past Friday, and the entire blogosphere is rightly in mourning. Most distressing, however, are comments by Seth Fischer of The Rumpus, who says:
The sad truth is that they’re taking Reading Rainbow away from the children forever, which means it’s only a matter of time before the kids stop reading entirely and turn into violent video game-playing, Twinkie-eating, morbidly obese fighting machines that will eat older generations alive as soon as they’re old enough to buy firearms.
Yegads.
Truman Capote autographed a book for Harry Potter.
First it’s Persepolis 2.0, then Katrina, now Johnny Cash. We can’t keep up with all these high-profile true-life (awesome) graphic novels lately!
This just in: digital readers save paper. Interesting, but what we’re more interesting in is how people are using digital readers to discreetly read smut in public. But then again, digital readers (or at least the Kindle) might be too difficult to use regularly. Or, wait, no, I mean the Kindle WILL be used regularly and will subsequently kill the hardback industry. I need to lie down.
Also just in: people are reading in public! Protect the children!
Novelist Colson Whitehead is making literature and technology one in the same by publishing his new novel in three parts across the Internet. Gimmick or awesome? Or both?
Oh my God, look at this new Twilight-inspired cover of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.
Speaking of Twilight, Suzanne Collins’ hit YA novels star ordinary teens rather than vampires or wizards, which is so unusual that TIME believes it warrants an article discussing just that fact.
And finally, empty British shops are finding second lives as art galleries.
And now, your pick-me-up:
