Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.
Who Are the Best Villains in Literature?
It’s March on the internet, and that means brackets galore. Why should basketball get all the glory? The play-in matches have started for The Morning News‘s annual Tournament of Books; voting is open in the first round of March Book Madness, a global program originally created by two Ohio school teachers; and now the folks at Lit Hub have gotten in on the action with a more specialized spin. Their inaugural “Ides of March Madness” asks readers to identify the best villains in literature. The bracket divides 64 literary baddies into four categories: Authority Figures, Monsters & Boogeymen, Manipulative Bastards, and Anti-Villains. Don’t worry if you don’t recognize all the names on sight—the bracket is accompanied by short descriptions of each character that include their weapon of choice (poison, cannibalism, rodents!) and other pertinent info. Voting in the opening round is open now through 7pm Eastern this Sunday. May the worst man win.
Who Gives a F*ck About an Oxford Comma? This Lady.
Grammar nerds, rejoice! A new documentary called Rebel With a Clause (A+ pun work there, folks) follows Ellen Jovin, a real American hero who traveled to all 50 states with her “grammar table,” which she set up in public places to invite strangers to ask her questions about how the English language is supposed to work. Per the NYT‘s Katherine Rosman, the film captures Jovin “dispensing lessons that are precise but not pedantic, engaging in the sort of face-to-face conversations with strangers that are so absent from quotidian contemporary life.” Jovin, who is a writer and writing instructor and has studied 25 languages, first popped up to help passersby understand dangling modifiers and the like in New York in 2018. Now, she gets to host events where attendees wear t-shirts bearing bedazzled messages like “Grammar is groovy” and are mortified when they accidentally ask “Can I sit here?” rather than “May I sit here?” Honestly? Goals.
Rebel With a Clause is screening at literary spots around the country, and you can learn more about Jovin’s work in her 2022 book with the same title.
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Barnes & Noble Workers in NYC Sign First Union Agreements
Nearly two years after voting to unionize, employees at several Barnes & Noble locations in New York City have ratified their first union contracts. The three-year deal, which will affect more than 200 workers, increases the minimum wage for new employees from $18 to $19 per hour now and provides for an additional increase to $21 per hour at the end of the three-year term. It also includes increased healthcare coverage, safety provisions to protect employees’ physical and mental health, job security if stores relocate, and layoff protections.
March Into Spring with New Horror Releases
The days are getting warmer and sunnier, but this month brings a bunch of new horror books to keep your reading life dark and chilling.