Chinese authorities have disclosed new information about one of the five missing Hong Kong booksellers who disappeared earlier this month. Lee Bo, a British citizen, is “understood” to be in mainland China. This confirms some information from a letter to Lee’s wife, but it doesn’t do much to ease concerns about the Chinese government’s role in the booksellers’ disappearance. The confirmation was sent to Hong Kong police from Chinese authorities in response to a request for information related to Lee. Lee’s wife had previously received a letter, said to be from Lee, that indicated that he had returned to the …
Caitlyn Jenner has already won Olympic gold, risen to reality TV stardom, and become a symbol of transgender rights. Soon, she’ll be able to add another accolade to her resume: author. Jenner has signed a book deal with Grand Central Publishing. Jenner’s book will “chronicle her journey from Bruce to Caitlyn, and her brave transition into womanhood.” She’ll be co-writing the memoir with Buzz Bissinger, the author of Friday Night Lights. Jenner has already taken to social media to express her enthusiasm for working with Bissinger on the project. Thrilled to reunite with my friend Buzz Bissinger. Honored that he’s telling my …
When five Hong Kong booksellers went missing in November, many immediately suspected the Chinese government. Now, for the first time, Chinese authorities have admitted that they’ve detained three of the five missing booksellers. According to China, the men – Lui Por, Cheung Chi-ping, and Lam Wing-kee – are being investigated for “illegal activities.” With the latest admission, all five of the missing booksellers have been confirmed to be in China. Gui Minahi, who was last seen in Thailand, is now in China and appeared on state TV to “confess” to a hit-and-run (authorities say he turned himself in, but Gui’s relatives …
Actor Pierce Brosnan and director Martin Campbell are teaming up to adapt an Ernest Hemingway novel for the big screen. Brosnan will star and Campbell will direct a film based on Hemingway’s novel Across the River and Into the Trees. According to the Hollywood Reporter, which first broke this story, Peter Flannery and Michael Radford (Il Postino) have already written the script for the adaptation. The story of Across the River and Into the Trees follows an American officer stationed in Italy following World War II. He discovers he’s terminally ill, and resolves to spend some time in Venice. His quiet farewell …
How many books have you marked as “read” on the Reading Room? No matter how many it is, it’s still only a tiny fraction of the number of books in the world. But that hasn’t stopped one man from trying to create a complete snapshot of the world of literature by reviewing (almost) everything for his “selectively comprehensive” website. In a fascinating profile of Michael A. Orthofer and his website, The Complete Review, The New Yorker examines the impossible goal and Orthofer’s progress. Orthofer, a middle-aged lawyer who was born in Austria and raised in New York City, has managed to review …
