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While I focus on Technology, Innovation, and Publishing, because I have a platform, I also flag items that I think are important and try to include a bunch of resources & opportunities. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter.

Important Items

The heat index reached a life-threatening 152 degrees in the Middle East

An airport in Iran recorded a heat index of 152 degrees Fahrenheit — conditions beyond what scientists have said humans can normally withstand.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/07/18/world/heat-wave-us-europe-weather

Nearly two years after Texas’ six-week abortion ban, more infants are dying

“Some 2,200 infants died in Tx in 2022, an increase of 227 deaths, or 11.5%, over the previous year. Infant deaths caused by severe genetic & birth defects rose by 21.6%. That spike reversed a nearly decade-long decline. Between 2014-2021, infant deaths had fallen by nearly 15%.”

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/20/health/texas-abortion-ban-infant-mortality-invs/index.html

Hearing Wrap-up: Zurawski v. State of Texas

The state of Texas is requesting that the court dismiss the case, claiming that some of the women—whose fertility is now compromised due to being denied abortions—no longer need to worry about the bans because they are unlikely to become pregnant again, and thus have no grounds to sue. Texas also claims that the plaintiffs who are currently pregnant again can’t be certain they’ll experience complications again, and thus have no grounds to sue.

https://reproductiverights.org/zurawski-v-state-of-texas-hearing-wrap-up/

Educational Censorship

MT @AAUP Frightening stuff… Check out @PENamerica’s new state-by-state interactive map of educational gag orders that restrict teaching & training about race, racism, gender, & American history.

https://pen.org/issue/educational-censorship/

Florida approves Black history standards decried as ‘step backward’

Updated standards include noting that enslaved people developed skills that “could be applied for their personal benefit.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/07/19/florida-black-history-standards/

The Gender Pay Gap Starts Even Before You Get Hired

RT @shannonrwatts A recent study of students attending four-year colleges and universities in 2022 found that 2/3 of the graduating male respondents received paid internships compared to less than half of women, despite women representing 70% of the 2,140 seniors surveyed.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-28/the-gender-pay-gap-starts-with-unpaid-internships

Georgia plans to cancel registrations of 191,000 inactive voters

Folks in GA: Please, check your registration at https://mvp.sos.ga.gov to make sure your registration is up to date!

https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-announces-planned-cancellation-of-191000-voter-registrations/O56N3BHQKRC2TEMZRKFZWTINCM/

‘Girls Gays Theys’ shirts aren’t obscene: Don’t let conservatives rewrite history

“Excluding LGBTQ speech from constitutional protection could lead to erasing LGBTQ people in books, media, film or television… This would move us backward to days of laws prohibiting people from loving the person of their choice.”

https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/4107682-girls-gays-theys-shirts-arent-obscene-dont-let-conservatives-rewrite-history/

Illinois Supreme Court Upholds Measure Designed to End Cash Bail

Some good news! Cash bail will soon end in Illinois. The state’s Supreme Court upheld a measure on Tuesday eliminating cash bail, which will transform the Illinois criminal justice system and limit judges’ ability to hold defendants in jail before trial.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/18/us/illinois-cash-bail-ruling.html

All Foster Kids in California Can Now Attend Any State College for Free

More good news! Gov. Newsom’s budget covers tuition, room and board for foster children to attend any state university or community college

https://themessenger.com/news/all-foster-kids-in-california-can-now-attend-any-state-college-for-free

Hollywood on Strike

An interesting deep dive from @stratechery: The Hollywood strike is setting talent against studios, but the problem is that both are jointly threatened by the reality of the Internet and zero distribution costs.

https://stratechery.com/2023/hollywood-on-strike/

Innovation

New AI translates 5,000-year-old cuneiform tablets instantly

Researchers have unearthed hundreds of thousands of cuneiform tablets, but many remain untranslated. Translating an ancient language is a time-intensive process, and only a few hundred experts are qualified to perform it. A recent study describes a new AI that produces high-quality translations of ancient texts.

https://bigthink.com/the-future/ai-translates-cuneiform/

How tactile graphics can help end image poverty

Access to rich imagery shouldn’t be something that blind or low-vision people have to do without. These projects are helping.

https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/06/15/1074036/ending-image-poverty/

Technology

ChatGPT’s accuracy has gotten worse, study shows

https://www.popsci.com/technology/chatgpt-human-inaccurate/

Junk websites filled with AI-generated text are pulling in money from programmatic ads

ICYMI “We have identified hundreds of Fortune 500 companies and well-known, prominent brands that are advertising on these sites and that are unwittingly supporting it.”

https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/06/26/1075504/junk-websites-filled-with-ai-generated-text-are-pulling-in-money-from-programmatic-ads/

The Next Token of Progress: 4 Unlocks on the Generative AI Horizon

Via Andreesen Horowitz. How 4 key AI innovations will evolve over the next 6-12 months, and how founders can integrate these new advances into their businesses.

https://a16z.com/2023/06/23/the-next-token-of-progress-4-unlocks-on-the-generative-ai-horizon/

Abundant Intelligence: The Top Generative AI Opportunities We’re Seeing in Apps and Infra

Via Bain Capital: Many people look to mobile and cloud as analogs for what the next few years will bring. We believe this is misleading. Mobile and cloud were new distribution channels that favored upstarts over incumbents, whereas AI is a new foundational technology. In that way, it’s more akin to the microprocessor than the iPhone. The distinction matters because new technologies are easier for incumbents to build into their existing solutions. We have already seen this from Microsoft (copilot for everything), Adobe (Firefly) and many other large companies who recognize the opportunity (and threat) and are moving with surprising speed. The implication: Startups will need to pick their spots carefully.

https://baincapitalventures.com/insight/opportunities-in-ai-creating-abundant-intelligence/

Shopify’s new Sidekick AI is about to make entrepreneurs’ lives so much easier

In the demo, Lütke asks why his snowboards sales are down, and Sidekick replies that it may be because snow precipitation has been going down, showing a graph to support its point. Then, he asks to put all his snowboards on sale and the AI automatically marks down all the prices, changing everything needed on the home page and adding red discount tags in seconds. Lütke then asks to add the surfboard product catalog to the homepage before finally ordering Sidekick to change the entire shop design to reflect surfboards, not snowboards. Instantly, the design morphs from winter ice to summer fire, images and all.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90923307/shopifys-new-sidekick-ai-tools

Meta reveals new AI image generation model CM3leon, touting greater efficiency

Text-to-image generation technologies today largely rely on the use of diffusion models (where Stable Diffusion gets its name from) to create an image. CM3leon is using a token-based autoregressive model. “CM3leon achieves state-of-the-art performance for text-to-image generation, despite being trained with five times less compute than previous transformer-based methods,” Meta wrote in a blog post.

https://venturebeat.com/ai/meta-reveals-new-ai-image-generation-model-cm3leon-touting-greater-efficiency/

How to Use AI to Do Stuff: An Opinionated Guide

A useful primer on how to use AI.

https://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/how-to-use-ai-to-do-stuff-an-opinionated

Stable Doodle Turns Your Dumbest Scribbles Into Off-Putting AI Art

And then there’s the copyright issues…. The newest model from Stability AI uses the company’s latest AI art generator to create a ‘precise’ image based on drawings.

https://gizmodo.com/stable-doodle-turns-your-dumbest-scribbles-into-off-put-1850636435

Why generative AI won’t disrupt books

MT @LauraB7 Every new technology from the internet to virtual reality has tried to upend book culture. There’s a reason they’ve all failed—and always will.

https://www.wired.com/story/why-generative-ai-wont-disrupt-books/

Thousands of authors urge AI companies to stop using work without permission

RT @PENamerica Thousands of writers including Nora Roberts, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Michael Chabon and Margaret Atwood have signed a letter asking artificial intelligence companies like OpenAI and Meta to stop using their work without permission or compensation.

https://www.npr.org/2023/07/17/1187523435/thousands-of-authors-urge-ai-companies-to-stop-using-work-without-permission

Thousands of authors sign letter urging AI makers to stop stealing books

“If you ask GPT-4 to do a passage in the style of Carmen Machado or Margaret Atwood or Alexander Chee, it will do a fair job at it, and for good reason: It likely ingested all their works in the training process, and now uses their ingenuity for its own.”

https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/18/thousands-of-authors-sign-letter-urging-ai-makers-to-stop-stealing-books/

“I Have a Problem With the Stealing of My Material”: A Common Rallying Cry Emerges On AI

“Artists and talent stress they aren’t unilaterally opposed to the technology. Most of them just want proper credit and compensation. ‘I don’t have a problem with the technology at all,’ Irwin said. ‘I have a problem with the stealing of my material.'”

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/ai-stealing-copyright-openai-claim-lawsuits-1235513714/

The music industry is preparing for war over AI-generated songs—and streaming services are the first battleground

Watch the music space for lessons for all media. HT @draccah “The prospect of any artist having their voice copied by AI—with or without their consent—is suddenly very real.”

https://www.fastcompany.com/90911297/generative-ai-music-industry-streaming-services

Google Tests A.I. Tool That Is Able to Write News Articles

The product, pitched as a helpmate for journalists, has been demonstrated for executives at The New York Times, The Washington Post and News Corp, which owns The Wall Street Journal.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/19/business/google-artificial-intelligence-news-articles.html

The looming addiction crisis fueled by AI

MT @edyson Greedy people & businesses using AI – that’s the real danger.

https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-adderall-targeted-advertising-opioid-crisis-cerebral-purdue-pharma-2023-7

Seven AI companies commit to safeguards at the White House’s request

Tech giants including Microsoft, Meta, Google, + OpenAI voluntarily committing to White House-prompted safeguards for AI technology, including independent testing & addressing societal risks.This pledge will be in effect until Congress enacts official AI regulations

https://www.engadget.com/ai-companies-will-reportedly-commit-to-safeguards-at-the-white-houses-request-185646283.html

OpenAI partners with American Journalism Project to support local news

OpenAI is committing $5 million to the American Journalism Project to look for ways to support local news through artificial intelligence.

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/openai-partners-with-american-journalism-project-support-local-news-2023-07-18/

AI, the media, and the lessons of the past

RT @michellemanafy In which Mathew Ingram draws an astute comparison between recent news orgs “partnerships” with AI companies to past “partnerships” such as The Facebook Journalism Project and the Google News Initiative

https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/openai_deals_ap_ajp.php

The workers at the frontlines of the AI revolution

The global labor force of outsourced and contract workers are early adopters of generative AI — and the most at risk.

https://restofworld.org/2023/ai-revolution-outsourced-workers/

Microsoft will begin charging users an additional $30 per month for the use of generative AI with tools such as Teams, Excel and Word.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/18/microsoft-stock-pops-on-ai-subscription-for-microsoft-365.html

Google restricting internet access to some employees to reduce cyberattack risk

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/18/google-restricting-internet-access-to-some-employees-for-security.html

The Future of Children’s Television Isn’t Television

MT @michellemanafy YouTube is the king of kids content right now (even on streamers). But the melding together of children’s television and children’s gaming is accelerating. Kids watch video content within gaming platforms, which will be increasingly commonplace in the future.

https://www.wired.com/story/future-of-childrens-television-youtube-roblox/

Netflix’s Next Act Is Investing in Video Games

MT @michellemanafy Pushing into a new medium makes sense, especially because the company has publicly identified video games as its biggest competition in the cutthroat fight for attention.

https://www.theringer.com/video-games/2023/7/14/23793669/netflix-video-games-oxenfree-ii-streaming-cloud-gaming

TikTok, Warner Music Group to partner in music licensing deal

https://www.reuters.com/technology/tiktok-warner-music-group-partner-music-licensing-deal-2023-07-18/

U.S. and E.U. Complete Long-Awaited Deal on Sharing Data

MT @benedictevans The US and EU have agreed a new set of rules for transferring user data to the US. Here’s how broad this problem was: without an agreement, if I live in NY and you live in Paris, it was illegal for Meta to let me see your Instagram post.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/10/technology/us-eu-data-privacy-deal.html

Netflix Found a Way to Make Removing Green Screens Easier by Turning Actors Bright Purple

https://gizmodo.com/netflix-magenta-green-screens-purple-actors-1850622222

Media & Publishing

Layoffs Begin at Penguin Random House as Buyout Departures Come into Focus

I was not impacted, but some friends were….

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/92788-layoffs-begin-at-penguin-random-house-as-buyout-departures-come-into-focus.html

HarperCollins to Shutter Inkyard Press, Lay Off Staff

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/92797-harpercollins-to-shutter-inkyard-press-lay-off-staff.html

Hearst Magazines Lays Off At Least 40 Employees

Teen-focused Seventeen is being brought under the leadership of Cosmopolitan as owner Hearst axes over 40 magazine positions.

https://www.businessinsider.com/hearst-layoffs-new-york-based-publisher-cuts-40-roles-2023-7

‘There’s an industry-wide mental health crisis’: authors and publishers on why the books sector needs to change

After a UK survey revealed the stresses that authors face when placed in the spotlight for the first time, publishing houses and industry bodies have pledged extra training and pastoral care.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/18/were-not-on-the-nhs-frontline-are-we-why-authors-and-publishers-are-calling-for-change

Cross-border publishing: understanding Core and Incremental models

MT @FIPPWorld Cross border publishing – assessing where do we stand now is a little tricky. Challenging times have forced a reassessment among many #publishers of how quickly and far media businesses should branch out overseas.

https://www.fipp.com/news/cross-border-publishing-understanding-core-and-incremental-models/

How Manga Was Translated for America

RT @LauraB7 Manga is enormously popular in the U.S. and is published in something close to its original form: in black and white, on inexpensive paper stock, to be read in the Japanese style.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/07/14/books/manga-comic-books.html

The indie publishing mavericks shaking up the UK books world

HT @JulieBlattberg Last year, all of literature’s big prizes went to small publishers. In a risk‑averse climate, edgy debuts and ‘tricky-to-sell’ foreign titles have found a home at the likes of Fitzcarraldo Editions and Sort Of Books – and the gamble has paid off

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/16/uk-indie-publishing-mavericks-shook-up-books-booker-nobel-fitzcarraldo-sort-of-books-daunt

Smithsonian literary fest flagged ‘sensitive’ topics before cancellation

Hours before the Smithsonian’s Asian American Literature Festival was cancelled a memo obtained by The Washington Post highlighted “potentially sensitive issues”: a panel about book bans & two events featuring queer, trans & nonbinary writers.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/07/22/smithsonian-asian-american-literary-festival-memo/

‘Does it really matter who wrote it?’: the rise of ghostwritten celebrity fiction

Readers might expect celebrities to hire professionals to help them with their memoirs. But when it comes to fiction, things get more complicated …

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/19/does-it-really-matter-who-wrote-it-the-rise-of-ghostwritten-celebrity-fiction

Get a first look at Hulu’s The Other Black Girl adaptation

https://ew.com/tv/the-other-black-girl-first-look-photos-hulu-premiere-date/

The Updated EPUB Is a Brilliant Balancing Act

By @BillKasdorf EPUB 3 is now not one specification, but three:

EPUB 3.3 specifies how all EPUB 3 documents are structured and encoded. It’s referred to as the “authoring” specification: the spec that creators of EPUBs should follow.
EPUB Reading Systems 3.3 specifies how the systems and software that deliver and render EPUBs should interpret the spec.
EPUB Accessibility 1.1 specifies the tagging and metadata that will ensure than an EPUB 3 is fully accessible.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/92627-the-updated-epub-is-a-brilliant-balancing-act.html

How the National Braille Press Brings Books to Blind Readers

The Boston-based publisher—the only organization in the U.S. that publishes its own books by blind authors for blind readers—has been leading the way in improving access in the book business for nearly a century.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/92816-how-the-national-braille-press-brings-books-to-blind-readers.html

Disability Representation in Publishing

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/adult-announcements/article/92829-disability-representation-in-publishing.html

How Bookstores Are Bringing Books Within Reach

Booksellers are measuring aisles, adjusting shelves, and rethinking their sensory spaces to improve accessibility

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/adult-announcements/article/92830-bringing-books-within-reach.html

A Podcast Deal Puts iHeartMedia Content In LinkedIn

Radio station giant iHeartMedia has entered a deal with LinkedIn to “introduce new offerings to the business podcast space.”

https://rbr.com/a-podcast-deal-puts-iheartmedia-in-linkedin/

Thank You to America’s Librarians for Protecting Our Freedom to Read

MT @BarackObama Today, some of the books that shaped my life—and the lives of so many others—are being challenged by people who disagree with certain ideas or perspectives. And librarians are on the front lines, fighting every day to make the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions, and ideas available to everyone. Michelle and I want to thank these librarians for their unwavering commitment to the freedom to read. I hope you’ll read my letter to them, and join me in reminding anyone who will listen—and even some people you think might not—that the free, robust exchange of ideas has always been at the heart of American democracy. Together, we can make that true for generations to come. To learn how you can support librarians and defend the right to read, join the Unite Against Book Bans campaign led by the American Library Association at uniteagainstbookbans.org.

https://barackobama.medium.com/thank-you-to-americas-librarians-for-protecting-our-freedom-to-read-80ce373608b3

Obama slams ‘profoundly misguided’ effort to ban books in message to America’s librarians

Obama also took his advocacy to TikTok where he appeared in a series of videos. Obama said banning books is antithetical “to what has made this country great.” “If America – a nation built on freedom of expression – allows certain voices and ideas to be silenced, why should other countries go out of their way to protect them?” “It’s no coincidence that these ‘banned books’ are often written by or feature people of color, indigenous people, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.”

https://www.businessinsider.com/obama-slams-profoundly-misguided-effort-to-ban-books-2023-7

Let the Kids Get Weird: The Adult Problem With Children’s Books

“Children like sweet and safe stories but they also like dark, bleak, unsettling or horrible stories. Children are like everyone else, they want stories that reflect the whole contradictory tangle of their lives.”

https://lithub.com/let-the-kids-get-weird-the-adult-problem-with-childrens-books/

Montana State Library Commission’s withdrawal from ALA is not surprising. There are receipts.

Last week, the Montana State Library Commission (MSLC) withdrew from the American Library Association (ALA). The reason they state is over the “wokeness” of the association–lol–and the incoming Marxist lesbian president. MSLC is not the Montana Library Association. MSLC is an arm of the Montana government.

https://stackedthoughts.substack.com/p/how-good-journalism-matters-right

Red-state education restrictions leave textbook publishers in a bind

MT @draccah “The education culture wars — fierce debates over how students should learn about race, history, sex and gender — are hitting the staid world of K-12 publishing”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/07/19/textbook-publishers-florida-critical-race-theory/

What Happened When Students Led Fights to Reverse Book Bans

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/what-happened-when-students-led-fights-to-reverse-book-bans/2023/07

Forget banning books in Florida. Too many of our kids can’t read anyway

HT @FLFreedomRead “Literature is an opportunity for conversation, and I took that opportunity with my child. Schools are where we come together to learn, find common ground.”

https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2023/07/16/forget-banning-books-florida-too-many-our-kids-cant-read-anyway-letters/

Opinion: Students and the right to read – why new law should be challenged

The law will lead to content-based restrictions on constitutionally protected speech in school libraries.

https://www.statesman.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.statesman.com%2Fstory%2Fopinion%2Fcolumns%2Fyour-voice%2F2023%2F07%2F16%2Fopinion-students-have-a-right-to-read-why-new-law-should-be-challenged%2F70406866007%2F

Support local libraries by rejecting book bans

MT @EveryLibrary “The outrage we see on the news is not a reflection of our small towns: It’s imported by groups that aim to overwhelm and tear down our public schools and libraries.”

https://buffalonews.com/another-voice-support-local-libraries-by-rejecting-book-bans/article_f467c624-1cf7-11ee-967d-1f08ec8d8c5c.html

Ta-Nehisi Coates attends school board meeting to back teacher told to stop using his book on racism

https://apnews.com/article/tanehisi-coates-racism-book-banned-school-a3cddd62a7d780433913d951ee7a7cfa

A new version of the famous Holocaust diary is being called ‘Anne Frank pornography’ and getting banned from schools

RT @PENamerica Attacking books as “pornography” is a common tactic for the book banning activists at Moms for Liberty. But now, even a new version of the famous Holocaust diary is being called “Anne Frank pornography” & getting banned from schools

https://www.jta.org/2023/06/12/culture/a-new-version-of-the-holocausts-most-famous-diary-is-being-called-anne-frank-pornography-and-getting-banned-from-schools

On ‘Klanned Karenhood’: The outrage of Moms for Liberty cannot be the narrative

HT @publishingtrend

https://www.slj.com/story/On-Klanned-Karenhood-outrage-of-Moms-for-Liberty-cannot-be-the-narrative-editorial

DPLA Launches ‘Geo-targeted’ Banned Book Club via Palace E-book App

Sounds good, but as @veronikellymars points out:

You need a specific app to do this. The poorest kids, the ones most harmed, do not have a phone or Kindle or anything to do this.
The systems to destroy public goods can continue forth.
It’s localized via app, unlike Brooklyn Public Library’s digital library.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/92809-dpla-launches-geo-targeted-banned-book-club-via-palace-e-book-app.html

Children’s Author Becomes a ‘Loudmouth’ for Banned Books

Leah Johnson, author of a middle grade book (Ellie Engle Saves the World) and two YA novels (You Should See Me in a Crown and Rise to the Sun), isn’t simply speaking up against censorship or writing letters expressing her opinions—she’s putting banned books into people’s hands. This fall she’s opening Loudmouth Books, a bricks-and-mortar store in Indianapolis that will spotlight books in its inventory that are routinely challenged by individuals and organizations such as Moms for Liberty.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/92801-children-s-author-becomes-a-loudmouth-for-banned-books.html

They Checked Out Pride Books in Protest. It Backfired.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/22/us/pride-books-library-protest.html

Resources & Opportunities

Master Class on LinkedIn

LAST CHANCE to sign up! 7/24 at noon ET via Zoom. Free for WMG members, $15 for non-members.

https://www.womensmediagroup.org/event-5310730

Free training to fight censorship

Censorship and book bans are a singular challenge facing public libraries. Being properly equipped with digital tools, skills, and policy frameworks is key. Join @EveryLibrary‘s free webinar with Niche Academy on 8/16 at 2pm EST to learn how to fight censorship with practical, actionable tips to protect your library and community.

https://www.nicheacademy.com/fighting-for-the-first

Gear Up To Attend Your Local Library And School Board Meetings

PFLAG created a helpful guide for speaking at library and school board meetings that United Against Book Bans adapted to focus on book bans.

https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/attend-library-school-board-meetings/

Women in Translation Reading Series 2023

Free, virtual reading series across time zones to raise awareness of translated literature by women, queer, and nonbinary authors, and promote gender and cultural diversity in literary publishing.

https://pen.org/event/women-in-translation-reading-series-2023/

2024 PEN America Literary Awards Submissions

RT @PENamerica Are you eligible for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel or the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection? Ask your publicist to submit your debut fiction to the #2024PENLitAwards on your behalf. Submission form here:

https://fs3.formsite.com/kGqofl/luqymk1aa3/index

Books Save Lives: Author Chats in the Classroom

MT @diversebooks As part of our Books Save Lives initiative, WNDB is committed to supporting diverse authors affected by book bans. Authors: If you’ve had at least one title banned/challenged & are interested in a virtual class visit this fall, please fill out this form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSezYRK29Lt1gcDcTHmQPp56u8rI20PXB4ZFLZ88OU4PFOh0HA/viewform

Debut Authors Over 50

RT @KevinLarimer It’s that time of year again: Shout-out to all debut authors age 50 and over who published or will publish a first book in 2023. We’re putting together the 8th annual 5 Over 50 feature @poetswritersinc. If you are a first-time author with a story to tell, I want to hear from you!

https://twitter.com/KevinLarimer/status/1682070991260860424

Map of Creative Writing MFA Programs

RT @jesilfa Did you know I made a map with creative writing MFA program locations? You can also filter by which programs offer funding, CNF, and screenwriting. More filters are coming soon, but in the meantime, I hope this helps folks researching where to apply.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1i_RgDKsgLyI1dAazUNL0hhGeVSCmMFc&hl=en&ll=37.33995970168584%2C-99.53111714999994&z=2

Synthetic/AI Voices Voice Actor Resources

MT @LanessaVo National Association of Voice Actors has put together an incredible resource here. The long contract is for companies who DO use AI & help ensure it’s only for the project as you’ve agreed to it. The rider protects your voice against being sold for AI.

https://navavoices.org/synth-ai/ai-voice-actor-resources/#nava-synth-ai-rider

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