Winter Institute kicks off in Asheville this weekend, and we’re proud to be hosting the NC Speakeasy on Sunday evening with fellow Tar Heelians Algonquin Books and John F. Blair, both of which are also featured in “North Carolina Indies Build Lists, Community” from Publishers Weekly. Booksellers, please look for Matthew Neill Null’s debut novel, Honey from the Lion, in the galley room. Can’t make it to Asheville? E-mail us for a copy.
You can get a sneak peek at the galley, and maybe even a few photos of Winter Institute, by following us on our newly launched Instagram.
Our news feeds were abuzz with week with reports that Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, is publishing a new novel, which follows Scout twenty years after the classic. Titled Go Set a Watchman, it was written first but presumed lost until Lee’s lawyer discovered it in the secure archive near the author’s Alabama home last fall.
Just this morning, Electric Literature and Grove Atlantic announced the launch of Literary Hub, “a new home for book lovers” (Wall Street Journal). Literary Hub will feature a mix of content contributed by partners and original material, including author interviews, features, excerpts, and essays. Sign us up, please!
We’ve all heard the phrase don’t judge a book by its cover, but this Guardian article presents an unusual counterpoint to that adage: this book cover judges you! In fact, it won’t open unless the reader has a neutral expression on her face.

Print magazine does some cover judging of its own in this article, a redux of some of the most compelling cover designs of the last year. Gather some cover inspiration and a list of great books to read.
Ecotone contributors Brock Clarke and Jamie Quatro, whose story is forthcoming in our spring 2015 anniversary issue, share their thoughts on McCarthy and Means in the Believer’s latest installment of their alphabetical Influenced By series. See what “M” authors inspire your favorite writers.
We’ll be watching closely to see which galleys the country’s leading booksellers stuff in their tote bags next week. Stay tuned! The plan is to interview some of them for this space, and we’ll preview their favorites in the coming weeks.