Wolf Romance, Destination Foods, Bookish Newsletters, a Poetry Game & More: Endnotes 24 June

Every Friday, we celebrate the weekend — and all the reading and relaxing and daydreaming time ahead — with Melissa's favorite book- and travel-related links of the week. Why work when you can read fun stuff?!

This post is part of our Endnotes series.

The Czech Republic is so beautiful and romantic, even the wolves are inspired to fall in love. According to a recent news report, ‘A young wild wolf walked across the entire Czech Republic looking for love. The journey began in Austria and ended in Poland, where the wolf apparently has met a female wolf and, scientists believe, has started a family.’ Our lupine Romeo is estimated to be about two years old, and it took him 14 days to journey through Moravia. His path included crossing two highways! (You can see his route on this map.) I can only assume it was something like this. Once upon a time, wolves lived all over what’s now the Czech Republic, but in the 19th century, humans wiped them out. However, they’re starting to slowly return to the forests here; there are currently about 60 to 80 wolves out there, looking for love.

• Why Comic Books Could Be A Powerful Weapon In The Climate Fight. ‘In these times, with one scandal chasing the next, it’s important to arrange stuff in relation to its history. I think comics are great for that. Getting activists and communities up to speed on a topic with a comic instead of a pile of articles can help.’

• Mysterious Lighthouses: The Perfect Setting for Fiction.

• Eater has rounded up the World’s Destination Dishes. Tacos in Mexico City, chili in Cincinnati, mofongo in San Juan, and many more.

• Dame Hilary Mantel’s story collection Learning to Talk was recently released in the US. She shared her favorite books with Elle. (My Wolf Hall trilogy audiobook listening extravaganza continues, and it is glorious.)

• Related! More than 80 writers have handwritten annotations in first editions of their books to raise funds for English PEN (a human rights organization that champions freedom of expression and defends writers at risk of persecution). Scottish mystery author Val McDermid, Margaret Atwood, Lee Child (Jack Reacher’s creator), and Hilary Mantel are among the authors who’ve contributed to the Christie’s auction First Editions, Second Thoughts: An Auction in Support of English PEN. There’s also a first edition of Atonement annotated by its author Ian McEwan: ‘One of the things he’s done so well is to explain the psychology of these characters. He talks about how memory plays tricks on us, you know, and that, of course, is a central theme of the book.’ The Guardian has more. If anyone has a few thousand extra pounds lying around, I will not turn up my nose at Bring Up the Bodies or The Mirror & The Light.

• These all seem dreamy. Sights and Skills: Six Creative Breaks Across Europe.

• I’ve slowly been building up a library of lovely bookish newsletters, including Silent Book Club, So Novelicious, and What To Read If. My latest good find is Shayne’s Bookish News, written monthly by Shayne Johnson. It’s a lively combo of book reviews, book-related news, and other fun stuff for curious people.

• When I’m ready to rest my eyes and give my ears over to good stuff, I rely on Podcast the Newsletter. Its author Lauren Passell listens to a lot of podcasts. Like, ALL THE PODCASTS, then she recommends the best ones. Her interests are broad, and she has discriminating taste.

• Quiz: Where in the world are these beautiful buildings?

• This coming-of-age essay from Susanna Donato captures the poignancy and hijinks of the last summer before college. Bad jobs, gross dudes, good friends, laughter through tears.

• This thread ponders the connections between Red Riding Hood’s Big Bad Wolf and the wolf menacing the Three Little Pigs. As you might expect, the comments are a delight. Click through to read all of it.

• In ‘news of authors we’ve covered’ in our podcast: Barry Lopez, author of Arctic Dreams (recommended in our Arctic episode), discusses the power of storytelling — and Danica Novgorodoff has won the Yoto Kate Greenaway medal for her graphic novel adaptation of Long Way Down, the brilliant prose novel by Jason Reynolds.

• Play Emily Blaster, a ’90s-style online game based on the poems of Emily Dickinson.

• These animals carved from walnut shells are so whimsical and beautiful.

• One of the first podcasts that captured my heart was the now-defunct The Dinner Party Download (RIP). The former host has a new show with a heart-stirring back story: ‘Brendan Francis Newnam was the host of a popular radio show, coasting through a happy adulthood when it all came crashing down. And so, like many before him, he decided to hit the road, but not on his own. In Not Lost, Brendan and a friend travel to a new place every week, meeting the locals in hopes of understanding their homes. And angling for an invitation to dinner.’ You can listen to the first season right here.

New Episode of The Library of Lost Time

In each 5-minute show, we talk about two new book releases at the top of our TBR, then share a fun book- or travel-related distraction. Get all the episodes and books galore here.

In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine and Ordinary Monsters by J. M. Miro. Then we share the lowdown on the thoroughly delightful Typewriter Rodeo poets in Austin, Texas.

Books

• Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine (This video from the author is excellent.)
• Ordinary Monsters by J. M. Miro
• Typewriter Rodeo by Jodi Egerton, et. al.

Distraction of the Week

• Visit Typewriter Rodeo online to meet the poets and get the schedule of upcoming events. You can also follow them on Instagram.

• Listen to the Typewriter Rodeo Podcast.

• Video interviews here and here give you more insight into the poetry magic.

Wishing you poetry that moves you.

Top image courtesy of Mario Losereit/Unsplash.