About 25 years ago a friend who knew I was dabbling in short fiction led me straight to St. Mark’s Bookshop to purchase Alice Munro’s Selected Stories. What a revelation!

Alice Munro, acclaimed author of short stories, has died at 92. She made her literary debut in 1968 with the story collection DANCE OF THE HAPPY SHADES. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013. PenguinRandomHouseCA ow.ly/XiRo50RG258

For jazz aficionados (and newcomers): New books by
Larry Tye, James Kaplan, and Paul Alexander bring you closer to the musicians. bit.ly/3WA0rVy Mariner Books penguinpress Alfred A. Knopf

For Kirkus Reviews, former NBCC President Tom Beer spoke with Colm Tóibín about his new novel, 'Long Island': buff.ly/3JXgXHD

My first Edgar Awards ceremony, and I had the good fortune to be sitting at a winner’s table. Congrats to James Lee Burke + Grove Atlantic! #edgars2024

I had the great pleasure of talking with Colm Tóibín about his new novel, LONG ISLAND, which gives you everything you want from one of his novels. It's glorious. bit.ly/44CDNhD

This did not appear in The Onion….

We’re afraid to talk about and plan for death. So glad that Kate Tuttle had this conversation with going with grace about her really important new book, BRIEFLY PERFECTLY HUMAN in the new Kirkus Reviews: ow.ly/fH1250RhIcI

Julia Alvarez (julia alvarez) , 74, thought THE CEMETERY OF UNTOLD CEMETERIES might be her last novel. But listen to her interview with Megan Labrise on the Fully Booked podcast—she is a vital force! May there be many more books. kirkusreviews.com/podcast/2024-0…

Austen, Dickens, Twain: Many contemporary writers, including the great Percival Everett, have put their own spin on the classics. My column for Kirkus Reviews: rb.gy/8y5nqg

CANDY DARLING is fascinating, funny, tragic, and enraging—the biography of a trans woman in all her complexity. I spoke with author Cynthia Carr about this landmark book. bit.ly/3xh3IPg

Happy #AprilFoolsDay ! 😂 If you need a laugh today, we recommend funny new novels by Emily Henry, Leanne Toshiko Simpson, Stephen McCauley & Alexandra Tanner ow.ly/7j1O50R5HjGr Berkley Publishing G. P. Putnam's Sons Henry Holt & Company Scribner

Here are 4 new book-to-screen adaptations to watch in April, including the Apple TV+ miniseries FRANKLIN, based on Stacy Schiff’s nonfiction book A GREAT IMPROVISATION and starring Michael Douglas ◆ ow.ly/7Lnb50R4xm4 Henry Holt & Company Simon & Schuster St. Martin's Press Apple TV Hulu

Super proud of Kirkus Reviews' International Issue, featuring fiction, nonfiction, and young readers' books from around the world. Here's just some of what you'll find: bit.ly/3vyYaPC #WorldlLiterature 🌎

A beautiful evening of readings New School Creative Writing by this year’s NBCC finalists. Excited to attend the awards ceremony tomorrow. Thank you, National Book Critics Circle!

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The International Issue, chock full of great book recommendations from around the world, lands tomorrow!

Please don’t bother Jeffrey Burke, ReadingIsMagical, Hannah Bae @hannahbae.bsky.social, Mary Ann Gwinn 🐁, MICHELLE H. MARTIN, and Christopher Biss-Brown. They are busy reading. 📚🤓📚 #KirkusPrize2024 bit.ly/4acEjnIi

To introduce the March 1 issue of Kirkus Reviews with Tommy Orange on the cover, I wrote about the death of N. Scott Momaday, Orange's powerhouse new novel, and the Native authors who are finally being recognized by publishers. bit.ly/3v1in01

If you watched—and protested—the run-up to the Iraq War in real time (as so many of us did), THE ACHILLES TRAP provides fascinating background on the history of U.S.-Iraq relations. Kirkus Reviews spoke with author Steve Coll. bit.ly/49EHeGa penguinpress