weekend links: Donald Trump "fan" fiction, Nan Goldin, DIY diversity
Illustration by John Cuneo. Image courtesy of The New York Times.
Why do writers write? An eternal question, and one of ever-greater debate in a world where “applicability” and “steady jobs” are all we seem to desire of our youth’s education. Alice Adams presents an eloquent answer and explains why the need to write persists. [Literary Hub]
Do you ever go home and think to yourself, I wish I had more Donald Trump fan fiction in my life? Us neither, but Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has provided us with some. Ok, “fan” is probably a stretch. [The New York Times]
Wonder Woman was created in World War II-era America as a symbol of strength for women and girls. Since then, she has been a reflection of every major women’s lib movement, spanning the ’70s to now. [A.V. Club]
For many millennials, the late ’70s and ’80s seem like a dreamland of freedom and exuberance, a world without negative consequence. Nan Goldin’s photographic collection The Ballad of Sexual Dependency explores what it meant to live in a time where one could be a modern-day bohemian, but only if you had the money and privilege. [The New Yorker]
David Foster Wallace’s novel Infinite Jest might be coming to the silver screen. But could such a monumental book ever be successfully translated to a new medium? Behold this list of book-to-movie ethics, which describes why some books are meant for the screen and some aren’t. [Signature]
The DIY ethos is regularly lauded as a rewarding way to create community and retain artistic control, allowing hardworking artists the means to eschew uninspired, money-driven gatekeepers of culture. But does such lionization risk papering over problems of “the scene,” particularly in how it welcomes artists of color? [Fader]
Pride month is over, but it’s never too late to celebrate the works of LGBTQ authors. [American Short Fiction]
And just in time for the holiday weekend, here’s an inspiring story of one man’s rise from prison to poet. Happy 4th, y’all! [The New Yorker]
—Samuel Hersh and Sean Redmond