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Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Pittsburgh’s Heinz History Center to host authors of book inspired by Fred Rogers
The book has been described as a “love letter to Pittsburgh.” “When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids” encompasses stories about people in this city who emulate the late Fred Rogers — everyone’s favorite neighbor — in their own way. Authors Ryan...
Remembering Rennerdale: In-progress book features Collier artist’s watercolors of homes
The sudden disruption of everyday life two years ago meant that practically everyone had to come up with a coping mechanism. For Kathleen Zimbicki, that was especially pertinent. “First, my husband died in ’19,” she said about Mike, to whom she had been married for 64 years. “I’m grieving over...
Super-valued: Special copy of Marvel Comics #1 fetches $2.4M
NEW YORK — A particularly prized copy of the first Marvel comic book fetched more than $2.4 million in an online auction, an auctioneer said Friday. Known as the Marvel Comics #1 “pay copy,” it’s “arguably one of the top three comic books in the world of comics collecting,” said...
Scott woman pens book about 20 years as cancer survivor
Beth Gardner looked up to her older brother, Todd. Born with cerebral palsy, scoliosis and a collapsed left lung, he leaned when he walked. He wore back and leg braces and had a speech impairment, making it hard for people to understand him. He died last year from a fall....
‘The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois’ wins book critics award
NEW YORK — Honorée Fanonne Jeffers’ “The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois,” her epic novel about racism, resilience and identity named for the influential Black scholar and activist, has received the fiction prize from the National Book Critics Circle. The critics circle praised Jeffers for “weaving several centuries’ worth...
Freeport resident lives dream by publishing books, working in theater
A creative writing class at Freeport Area Senior High School helped jump-start Britt Kolek’s interest in writing novels. At the time, she was interested in Marvel and DC comics. When her teacher tasked the class with writing a story, she decided to write hers about a superhero. She thought of...
Franklin Regional ‘pauses’ teaching of novel about Iranian Revolution after complaints
Franklin Regional School District is “pausing” use of a novel in a freshman honors English course after school board members asked administrators to review its use amid concerns from some residents in the district. “Persepolis,” Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel about growing up as a 10-year-old girl amidst the Iranian Revolution...
Review: ‘Sandy Hook’ is vital reading in the post-truth age
“Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for the Truth” by Elizabeth Williamson (Dutton) If you stand on a street corner all day yelling at passersby, you might reach a few hundred people. If you do the same thing on the internet, that number is comparatively limitless. “Sandy Hook:...
Dolly Parton, James Patterson — in words and music
LA VERGNE, Tennessee — Sometimes even Dolly Parton has a hard time keeping up with the legend of Dolly Parton. “I often go into my museum in Dollywood, you know, because I’m in the mood to be there or we’re in there doing something or putting something new in. And...
Penn Hills graduate, Upper Burrell resident publishes her own book
After living in others’ fantasy worlds, Penn Hills High School graduate and Upper Burrell resident Jenna E. Faas was ready to create her own. Writing has been a core passion for Faas, who remembers her mom reading books to her before bedtime at 5 years old. Although she was unable...
New Dr. Seuss-inspired books to feature diverse creators
Sketches of fantastic creatures by Dr. Seuss that have never before been published will see the light of day in new books being written and illustrated by an inclusive group of up-and-coming authors and artists, the company that owns the intellectual property rights to Dr. Seuss’ works announced Wednesday. The...
Books about war, poverty among finalists for Lukas awards
NEW YORK — Books about war, poverty and the rule of law are among the finalists for Lukas Prizes given for work that combines literary excellence, deep research and social consciousness. The nominees were announced Thursday for three categories: The $10,000 J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize, the $10,000 Mark Lynton...
Review: ‘Scoundrel’ is a portrait of a con-man killer
“Scoundrel: How a Convicted Murderer Persuaded the Women Who Loved him, the Conservative Establishment, and the Courts to Set Him Free,” by Sarah Weinman (Ecco) In 1957, a 15-year-old girl named Victoria Zielinski never returned home after visiting a friend. Her body was found the next day in a sand...
Folklore expert: Original ‘Bambi’ was not a children’s story
The novel on which the Disney movie “Bambi” was based dealt with loss, loneliness and racism. If you thought it was rough to see Bambi’s mother die in the 1942 Disney film, you should read the original story. Before it became an animated classic movie for children, “Bambi” was a...
Book review: Political scientist who studies civil wars worries that U.S. is headed toward one
SAN DIEGO — Barbara Walter, a political scientist at UC San Diego, has been studying civil wars for 30 years. She understands the script they follow: how they ignite, how they escalate, how they end. The storm clouds she sees gathering now are over the United States. “If you were...
Dr. Deborah Birx, covid adviser under Trump, has a book deal
NEW YORK — Dr. Deborah Birx has a memoir coming out this spring that will focus on her contentious time as White House coronavirus task force coordinator in the administration of President Donald Trump. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced Monday that Birx’s “Silent Invasion: The Untold Story of...
Well-Read Black Girl to help launch new literary series
NEW YORK — The world of Well-Read Black Girl, and founder Glory Edim, keeps growing. What began in 2015 as an Instagram book club and a phrase on a T-shirt given to Edim by her boyfriend is now a newsletter, literary festival, podcast and the basis for two published anthologies....
Review: Journey to the origins of the Earth
“Otherlands: Journeys in Earth’s Extinct Ecosystems,” by Thomas Halliday (Random House) If there is one uncertainty that has persisted since the beginning of time, it’s our planet’s impermanence. Thomas Halliday ventures into the vastness of this predicament in his book “Otherlands: Journeys in Earth’s Extinct Ecosystems,” a compendium on Earth’s...
Review: Unique narrator propels ‘What the Fireflies Knew’
“What the Fireflies Knew” by Kai Harris (Tiny Reparations Books) One of the joys of reviewing books is reading things you otherwise never would. So let me disclose up front that I chose this book because the title sounded cool. I didn’t know what it was about, didn’t know it...
‘Maus’ ban makes Art Spiegelman’s Holocaust graphic novel an Amazon bestseller
Two editions of Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel “Maus,” about his parents’ experiences during the Holocaust, have become bestsellers after being banned by a Tennessee school board recently. “The Complete Maus” (1996) and “Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History” (1986) broke onto Amazon’s top 20 list over the...
Book about Holocaust banned in Tennessee school district 
ATHENS, Tenn. — A Tennessee school district has voted to ban a Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust due to “inappropriate language” and an illustration of a nude woman, according to minutes from a board meeting. The McMinn County School Board decided Jan. 10 to remove “Maus” from its...
Kellyanne Conway memoir ‘Here’s the Deal’ coming out in May
Former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway has a memoir out May 24: “Here’s the Deal” is billed by her publisher as a look beyond the headlines of the Trump administration and her family life, including her husband and prominent Trump detractor, George Conway. “Not just the story of the White...
Review: Schaffhausen sets standard for serial killer novels
“Last Seen Alive” by Joanna Schaffhausen (Minotaur) When Joanna Schaffhausen first introduced FBI Special Agent Reed Markham and Boston police officer Ellery Hathaway, the author put serial killer Francis Coben at the center of their origin story. And yet, for four straight novels, the monster remained off stage. Instead, he...
New Mo Willems ‘Pigeon’ book to be released in September
NEW YORK — An imprint launched last week by Barnes & Noble has signed up one of the country’s top children’s author-illustrators, Mo Willems, best known for his “Pigeon” picture books. Willems has a five-book deal with Union Square Kids, including for “The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster!”, scheduled...
Former AG William Barr’s memoir to be published March 8
NEW YORK — Former Attorney General William P. Barr has a memoir coming out March 8 titled “One Damn Thing After Another,” and billed by his publisher as a “vivid and forthright book” of his time serving two “drastically different” presidents, Donald Trump and George H.W. Bush. “Barr takes readers...


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