This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden:
Paris Review Editor Resigns Amidst Inquiry Into Conduct
Lorin Stein, editor of literary magazine The Paris Review, resigned from his position amidst an investigation into his conduct with the publication’s female employees and writers. Stein “acknowledged dating and expressing interest in women with whom he had professional connections.” The review followed the appearance of Stein’s name on a list anonymously crowdsourcing allegations of harrasment, created after the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Stein has also resigned from his position as editor at large for Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
A Slaughterhouse-Five Series Adaptation Is In The Works
Happy showrunner Patrick Macmanus has signed on to write and executive produce the series adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five for Universal Cable Productions. One of the most frequently challenged books in the U.S., the non-linear, semi-autobiographical WWII satire follows Billy Pilgrim, a chaplain’s assistant in the U.S. Army and survivor of the firebombing of Dresden. UCP has yet to find a network home for the series, but they expect to shop the project within the NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment group, outside networks, and premium services.
California Faces Literacy Lawsuit
A group of lawyers representing teachers and students from poor performing schools have brought a lawsuit against the state of California demanding that the California Department of Education address its “literacy crisis.” According to the lawsuit, of the 26 lowest-performing districts in the nation, 11 are in California, and assessments found less than half of California students from third grade to fifth grade have met statewide literacy standards since 2015.