Here’s A First Look at Harvey Fierstein’s “Juicy” and “Scary” Memoir
Actor, playwritght, and gay rights activist Harvey Fierstein’s memoir I Was Better Last Night hits shelves in March 2022, but you can get a first look at the memoir right now. The upcoming book will follow Fierstein’s career, starting with his early days doing community theater in Brooklyn. Fierstein’s memoir promises to be sexy, romantic, and of course, funny. Plus, he’s sharing stories that he hasn’t even told his closest friends. Fierstein told Entertainment Weekly in a statement, “Well, here is the outrageous, juicy, scary, and mostly true result of my efforts. Actors and writers use their talents to hide who they really are. With this memoir I guess I am saying farewell to all of that. This is me.”
Amanda Gorman and Penguin Random House Launch Poetry Award
Poet Amanda Gorman is partnering with Penguin Random House to launch the Amanda Gorman Award for Poetry, a new creative writing award that will focus on poetry for public high school students. The new award will recognize a student for an original literary composition in English for poetry. The first place prize is $10,000. Gorman stated, “I’m honored to be partnering with Penguin Random House on their poetry award for high school students. As someone who found my love of writing at a young age, I want to continue to foster that same love in the next generation of great poets.” To apply and to read more about eligibility and rules, click here. Submissions open on October 1, 2021, and close on February 1, 2022. Penguin Random House will announce the winners in June 2022.
Scholastic Books to Release Friends Children’s Book Series
Why wait ’til you’re older to have Friends be there for you? Scholastic Books is releasing a series of children’s books based on the Friends television series. The books will feature chibi style versions of everyone’s favorite Friends characters. Life is Better with Friends, the first book in the new series, was written by Micol Ostow and illustrated by Keiron Ward. The book releases in October, but you can preorder now!
Today’s North American Manga Market: the Wins, the Losses, and Everything Else
North America is experiencing a manga boom. And with so many titles now available, there’s no better time than right now to start reading manga. Here’s a look at the industry’s history with manga and its future.