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Researchers Investigate What Makes A Poem Popular
Researchers from New York University and the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics found that vividness was the best predictor of the aesthetic appeal of a poem. The researchers were investigating what makes a poem aesthetically pleasing, and thereby higher-rated among readers. Four hundred participants read 111 haikus and 16 sonnets, rating the poems on vividness, emotional arousal, emotional valence, and aesthetic appeal, and poems where the reader strongly experienced images while reading ranked highest in their results.
Charlyne Yi Responds To Claims Of Defamation From Former Art Director at Penguin
Over the weekend, writer and actress Charlyne Yi responded to the resignation post Giuseppe Castellano published on his blog, which included a statement that Yi’s allegations of sexual harassment were “defamatory and false.” Giuseppe Castellano resigned from a position as Executive Art Director at Penguin Random House following Yi’s allegations. In response to Castellano’s statement, Yi posted on Twitter screenshots of correspondence related to the night in question, which included an apology for a weak moment, and details about the evening in question.
Bill Gates Recommends His Favorite 2017 Reads
Avid reader Bill Gates wrote about five of the best books he read this year. They included Thi Bui’s graphic memoir about life as a refugee and parent (The Best We Could Do), comedian Eddie Izzard’s memoir (Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens), and 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction recipient The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen. Check out the full list, and his thoughts on each, over at GatesNotes.