Tuesday's Literary Briefing

Now That's A Debate!

Controversy paves the way for book sales. According to the cliché, there is no such thing as bad publicity. That may or may not be true. After all, the psychological toll can be disastrous. We’ll never know how Mike Penner/Christine Daniels wanted to be remembered, but his controversial real-life test was bold and groundbreaking, especially for a sportswriter. The truth behind Shakespeare’s identity continues to stir debate, as it should; it is one of the great superunknowns. Following suit, literature’s relevance is the newest question hitting the technological airwaves. But it isn’t really new, just redefined. Brenda Wineapple is ready to yell; she’s Guernica’s new nonfiction editor. Finally, The Millions interviews Jonathan Dee and asks, is he the under 40 author of The Great American Novel? Let the debate begin. – Andrew Geer