Jen Benka
@jenbenka.bsky.social
Executive Director of the Literary Arts Fund. Views my own.
"Change me, drastically if possible. Transform me. Make me other. That’s what I ask of books—both when I read them and when I write them." —Cristina Rivera Garza lithub.com/cristina-riv...
Cristina Rivera Garza on Writing a Genre-Blending Excavation of Family History
I have long admired the work of Cristina Rivera Garza, the much lauded writer of novels, short stories, poetry, essays and criticism, translator, University of Houston Distinguished Professor, foun…
lithub.com
February 10, 2026 at 5:05 PM
"Change me, drastically if possible. Transform me. Make me other. That’s what I ask of books—both when I read them and when I write them." —Cristina Rivera Garza lithub.com/cristina-riv...
Reposted by Jen Benka
"We believe that everyone in our country deserves meaningful access to the veracity, beauty, imagination, and continual revelation that the arts and humanities provide." —Elizabeth Alexander, President of @mellon.org, a co-founder of the Literary Arts Fund
Opening Up the Arts and Humanities for All Americans
www.mellon.org
February 2, 2026 at 5:10 PM
"We believe that everyone in our country deserves meaningful access to the veracity, beauty, imagination, and continual revelation that the arts and humanities provide." —Elizabeth Alexander, President of @mellon.org, a co-founder of the Literary Arts Fund
Writers George Saunders, Roxane Gay, and Jodi Picoult, among others, have joined the Human Artistry Campaign's "Stealing Isn't Innovation" effort to protest tech companies using copyrighted creative work without permission to build AI language models. www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...
One of the First Big Anti-AI Campaigns From Hollywood Is Launching Now
Writers, actors and other musicians have come out in support of the Human Artistry Campaign’s “Stealing Isn’t Innovation” push for licensing and opt-out mechanisms for human-created works.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
January 23, 2026 at 1:04 PM
Writers George Saunders, Roxane Gay, and Jodi Picoult, among others, have joined the Human Artistry Campaign's "Stealing Isn't Innovation" effort to protest tech companies using copyrighted creative work without permission to build AI language models. www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...
then let us believe
the product of our lives
is greater than the sum of us
—Elaine Mintzer
www.scientificamerican.com/article/poem...
the product of our lives
is greater than the sum of us
—Elaine Mintzer
www.scientificamerican.com/article/poem...
Poem: ‘E = mc²’
Science in meter and verse
www.scientificamerican.com
January 21, 2026 at 12:51 PM
then let us believe
the product of our lives
is greater than the sum of us
—Elaine Mintzer
www.scientificamerican.com/article/poem...
the product of our lives
is greater than the sum of us
—Elaine Mintzer
www.scientificamerican.com/article/poem...
Reposted by Jen Benka
Rachel Eliza Griffiths is releasing her memoir, "The Flower Bearers," after enduring profound personal tragedies.
The pain, and joy, of Rachel Eliza Griffiths' writing journey
Rachel Eliza Griffiths is releasing her memoir, “The Flower Bearers,” after enduring profound personal tragedies.
bit.ly
January 19, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Rachel Eliza Griffiths is releasing her memoir, "The Flower Bearers," after enduring profound personal tragedies.
“Writing, which is a kind of paying attention, can be an act of love, an illumination...” —Larissa Pham @literaryhub.bsky.social
lithub.com/writing-towa...
lithub.com/writing-towa...
Writing Toward the Void: Larissa Pham on Facing Your Fears in Fiction
What’s the scariest scenario you can imagine? Mine goes something like this: Imagine a woman wrote a book—no, a revenge fantasy—about a mentor who abused his power. What if that book’s subject enco…
lithub.com
January 20, 2026 at 4:39 PM
“Writing, which is a kind of paying attention, can be an act of love, an illumination...” —Larissa Pham @literaryhub.bsky.social
lithub.com/writing-towa...
lithub.com/writing-towa...
"Words can empower or break a person, a community, a nation. But when we share stories with one another, we are reminded of our shared humanity." —Shugri Salh
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
Somali Author Shugri Salh on the Power of Words
Shugri Salh, author of the memoir ‘The Last Nomad,’ reflects on her picture book debut, ‘Suuban’s First Day,’ current events, and how words have the capacity both to heal and to harm.
www.publishersweekly.com
January 19, 2026 at 12:40 PM
"Words can empower or break a person, a community, a nation. But when we share stories with one another, we are reminded of our shared humanity." —Shugri Salh
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
"We don't survive if we don't figure out how to hear, respect and see each other. And I think that literature has superpowers to do that." —Elizabeth Alexander, poet and President of the
@mellon.org Foundation on the new @literaryartsfund.bsky.social
www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
@mellon.org Foundation on the new @literaryartsfund.bsky.social
www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
Literary Arts Fund created to rekindle a love for reading
According to a recent study, reading for pleasure has fallen by 40% in the last 20 years, continuing a long-running downward trend. By many measures, reading skills for both students and adults contin...
www.pbs.org
January 18, 2026 at 12:32 PM
"We don't survive if we don't figure out how to hear, respect and see each other. And I think that literature has superpowers to do that." —Elizabeth Alexander, poet and President of the
@mellon.org Foundation on the new @literaryartsfund.bsky.social
www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
@mellon.org Foundation on the new @literaryartsfund.bsky.social
www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
"The benefit of reading more than one book at a time is that no matter how different the two books are, they always end up speaking to each other in ways I couldn’t have imagined." —Laura Dave time.com/7344842/read...
The Benefits of Reading Two Books at Once
Pairing a book for focus with one for escape makes reading richer.
time.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:52 PM
"The benefit of reading more than one book at a time is that no matter how different the two books are, they always end up speaking to each other in ways I couldn’t have imagined." —Laura Dave time.com/7344842/read...
"Poetry is alive; it celebrates our human experience with language, voice and reflection." —Laura Tohe, newly appointed Poet Laureate of Arizona news.asu.edu/20260114-uni...
ASU Professor Emeritus Laura Tohe named poet laureate of Arizona | ASU News
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs announced on Wednesday the appointment of Arizona State University Professor Emeritus Laura Tohe as poet laureate for the state of Arizona.
news.asu.edu
January 15, 2026 at 11:53 AM
"Poetry is alive; it celebrates our human experience with language, voice and reflection." —Laura Tohe, newly appointed Poet Laureate of Arizona news.asu.edu/20260114-uni...
What indy titles are indy bookstore shoppers reading? Launching today: a new and alternative best-sellers book list from the Independent Publishers Caucus and @americanbookseller.bsky.social... www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
Independent Publishers Caucus Launches Bestseller List with ABA
The Independent Press Top 40 is a new weekly bestseller list that ranks the most popular fiction and nonfiction titles from indie publishers, as sold by American Booksellers Association member stores.
www.publishersweekly.com
January 14, 2026 at 4:24 PM
What indy titles are indy bookstore shoppers reading? Launching today: a new and alternative best-sellers book list from the Independent Publishers Caucus and @americanbookseller.bsky.social... www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
Reposted by Jen Benka
Today's Feature:
Alyse Knorr and Kate Partridge Remember Mel Nichols
Read here:
poems.com/features/wha...
Alyse Knorr and Kate Partridge Remember Mel Nichols
Read here:
poems.com/features/wha...
Alyse Knorr and Kate Partridge Remember Mel Nichols
When she describes, in this poem, the letters “taking flight down the river of quaking aspens,” and then opens the next stanza by rendering how “the world is moon milk spilled on dark grass / among th...
poems.com
January 12, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Today's Feature:
Alyse Knorr and Kate Partridge Remember Mel Nichols
Read here:
poems.com/features/wha...
Alyse Knorr and Kate Partridge Remember Mel Nichols
Read here:
poems.com/features/wha...
“I’m interested in writing my way through, around, above, and below my life, as a way to navigate life’s joys, beauties, and sadnesses all at once.” —@victoriachang.bsky.social
www.nybooks.com/online/2026/...
www.nybooks.com/online/2026/...
Community Poetry | Victoria Chang, Velislava Kuzmenko
In her poem “The Swan, No. 20 (Hilma af Klint)” from the Review’s October 23, 2025, issue, Victoria Chang delineates the line of beauty (a word that
www.nybooks.com
January 13, 2026 at 11:28 AM
“I’m interested in writing my way through, around, above, and below my life, as a way to navigate life’s joys, beauties, and sadnesses all at once.” —@victoriachang.bsky.social
www.nybooks.com/online/2026/...
www.nybooks.com/online/2026/...
"It feels like, to me, creativity is...this sort of vast collective consciousness, and I am, you know, a guy with a radio, turning the dial, tuning into it and trying to tune into it day after day." —Benjamin Wood lithub.com/benjamin-woo...
Benjamin Wood on the Creative Life Force
First Draft: A Dialogue of Writing is a weekly show featuring in-depth interviews with fiction, nonfiction, essay writers, and poets, highlighting the voices of writers as they discuss their work, …
lithub.com
January 12, 2026 at 11:47 AM
"It feels like, to me, creativity is...this sort of vast collective consciousness, and I am, you know, a guy with a radio, turning the dial, tuning into it and trying to tune into it day after day." —Benjamin Wood lithub.com/benjamin-woo...
Reposted by Jen Benka
"I hope with every book I write that it heals something in someone." —Tayari Jones @tayari.bsky.social on her new book, "Kin."
#LiteraryArts
#LiteraryArts
Tayari Jones’s Healing Words
Before finishing her latest novel, the bestselling author had to overcome serious illness and self-doubt.
www.publishersweekly.com
January 9, 2026 at 6:27 PM
"I hope with every book I write that it heals something in someone." —Tayari Jones @tayari.bsky.social on her new book, "Kin."
#LiteraryArts
#LiteraryArts
"If you’re still looking for a New Year’s resolution, 'read more books' could well be good for national morale." —Brittany Allen, @literaryhub.bsky.social lithub.com/in-2025-most...
In 2025, most Americans read fewer than four books.
According to a YouGov poll released at year’s end, American reading habits stay in the toilet. Four in ten Americans didn’t read a single book during our last spin around the sun. And o…
lithub.com
January 6, 2026 at 11:27 AM
"If you’re still looking for a New Year’s resolution, 'read more books' could well be good for national morale." —Brittany Allen, @literaryhub.bsky.social lithub.com/in-2025-most...
“A joy that wears down the rock of no." —Cornelius Eady
m.youtube.com/watch?v=cjYQ...
m.youtube.com/watch?v=cjYQ...
INAUGURATION HIGHLIGHT: Cornelius Eady Delivers Chilling Poem at Zohran Mamdani’s Inauguration |AC14
YouTube video by DWS News
m.youtube.com
January 2, 2026 at 12:27 PM
“A joy that wears down the rock of no." —Cornelius Eady
m.youtube.com/watch?v=cjYQ...
m.youtube.com/watch?v=cjYQ...
"“Poets and artists can speak in a language that is different from the language of politicians. They can say things that politicians can’t say. They are there to capture an essence.” —Elizabeth Alexander www.nytimes.com/2025/12/30/n...
‘This Is Our Time’: Acclaimed Poet to Honor Mamdani With Inaugural Poem
www.nytimes.com
December 30, 2025 at 7:07 PM
"“Poets and artists can speak in a language that is different from the language of politicians. They can say things that politicians can’t say. They are there to capture an essence.” —Elizabeth Alexander www.nytimes.com/2025/12/30/n...
"I love the way an audiobook brings me one step closer to a story, removing the middleman of paper or a screen. I’m not just hovering over the action, I’m in it. Channeling it. Bonus: No trees are harmed in the recording." —Elisabeth Egan www.nytimes.com/2025/12/21/b...
Why I Stopped Reading and Embraced Audiobooks
www.nytimes.com
December 22, 2025 at 10:35 AM
"I love the way an audiobook brings me one step closer to a story, removing the middleman of paper or a screen. I’m not just hovering over the action, I’m in it. Channeling it. Bonus: No trees are harmed in the recording." —Elisabeth Egan www.nytimes.com/2025/12/21/b...
"I hold passionately to the importance of long-form nonfiction in helping us understand the world." —Caroline Sanderson, associate editor, The Bookseller @thebookseller.com www.theguardian.com/books/2025/d...
Are we falling out of love with nonfiction?
In the early 2020s, readers flocked to books to explain political turbulence. But is the world now too grim to read about – and are podcasters taking the place of authors?
www.theguardian.com
December 19, 2025 at 12:50 PM
"I hold passionately to the importance of long-form nonfiction in helping us understand the world." —Caroline Sanderson, associate editor, The Bookseller @thebookseller.com www.theguardian.com/books/2025/d...
Reposted by Jen Benka
Tomorrow, December 19 at 11:59 p.m. ET, is the deadline for the Literary Arts Fund’s 2026 general operating grants.
U.S.-based literary arts nonprofits that directly support creative writers are invited to review the fund’s eligibility requirements and apply: literaryartsfund.org/grants/
U.S.-based literary arts nonprofits that directly support creative writers are invited to review the fund’s eligibility requirements and apply: literaryartsfund.org/grants/
December 18, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Tomorrow, December 19 at 11:59 p.m. ET, is the deadline for the Literary Arts Fund’s 2026 general operating grants.
U.S.-based literary arts nonprofits that directly support creative writers are invited to review the fund’s eligibility requirements and apply: literaryartsfund.org/grants/
U.S.-based literary arts nonprofits that directly support creative writers are invited to review the fund’s eligibility requirements and apply: literaryartsfund.org/grants/
"Kevin engaged the Bay Area poetry scene like Warhol did his Factory – but unlike Warhol, it wasn’t centered around him or his work.” —Evan Kennedy www.theguardian.com/books/2025/d...
What rhymes with la la la, la la la la la? Kevin Killian, the poet obsessed with Kylie Minogue
He wrote poems named after Kylie songs and named his collection of erotic fiction after her indie album. He even loved the B-sides. So what did the avant garde writer find so inspiring about the mini ...
www.theguardian.com
December 15, 2025 at 11:29 AM
"Kevin engaged the Bay Area poetry scene like Warhol did his Factory – but unlike Warhol, it wasn’t centered around him or his work.” —Evan Kennedy www.theguardian.com/books/2025/d...
Reposted by Jen Benka
There’s one week left to apply for the Literary Arts Fund’s 2026 general operating grants.
U.S.-based literary arts nonprofits directly serving creative writers are invited to review the eligibility requirements and apply by December 19 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Learn more: literaryartsfund.org/grants.
U.S.-based literary arts nonprofits directly serving creative writers are invited to review the eligibility requirements and apply by December 19 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Learn more: literaryartsfund.org/grants.
December 12, 2025 at 9:25 PM
There’s one week left to apply for the Literary Arts Fund’s 2026 general operating grants.
U.S.-based literary arts nonprofits directly serving creative writers are invited to review the eligibility requirements and apply by December 19 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Learn more: literaryartsfund.org/grants.
U.S.-based literary arts nonprofits directly serving creative writers are invited to review the eligibility requirements and apply by December 19 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Learn more: literaryartsfund.org/grants.
"In American high schools, the age of the book may be fading." —Dana Goldstein www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/u...
Kids Rarely Read Whole Books Anymore. Even in English Class.
www.nytimes.com
December 12, 2025 at 11:30 AM
"In American high schools, the age of the book may be fading." —Dana Goldstein www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/u...
"She was a world builder." A beautiful tribute to DéLana R.A. Dameron. May she rest in peace.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/b...
DéLana R.A. Dameron, Writer of the Black South, Dies at 40
www.nytimes.com
December 10, 2025 at 10:30 AM
"She was a world builder." A beautiful tribute to DéLana R.A. Dameron. May she rest in peace.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/b...