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As someone who loves books and has two degrees in reading and writing, America’s declining literacy rates are deeply concerning to me. I’ve read countless pieces on professionals speculating about the reasons behind the decline and what solutions might be helpful. The latest is this episode from Plain English. Host Derek Thompson talks to Atlantic staff writer Rose Horowitch and Nat Malkus of the American Enterprise Institute about America’s declining literacy rates. Their conversations have sparked a number of discussions amongst my English teacher friends.
Saeed Jones and Roxane Gay discuss Creative Nonfiction at Harvard. Both writers have published successful memoirs. Their conversation delves into their own creative processes, writing in multiple genres, and the challenges of ensuring truth in their creative nonfiction. They also discuss the challenges of being Black, queer creatives existing on the internet.
Book Riot CEO Jeff O’Neal interviews Scaachi Koul about one of my favorite nonfiction books of the spring. Koul’s new book Sucker Punch delves into her life during and after her divorce. I love how her writing engages with her last collection One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter, where she discusses the early stages of her relationship with her ex-husband.
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Biography lovers rejoice! The Biographers International Organization has announced the longlist for the 2025 Plutarch Awards. This year’s longlist includes titles by both debut and experienced biographers. The list includes:
The winner of this year’s Plutarch Award will be announced on June 5th and 6th during the 2025 BIO Conference.
That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave or over on Instagram @kdwinchester. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.