Friday Fridge Clean-Out: Final Winter Writers Clearance

Most Fridays, I toss out the things I've come across during the week which I think might make, if not an entire meal, at least a fortifying snack for my blog readers. You can play too, by passing along links, events, or anything you think other writers, readers, and book lovers might want to know about. Just leave it in the comments section.

• Word geeks, rejoice. Coming soon is Wordnik, a "dictionary" that sounds so far beyond what any currently available online dictionary can offer in interactivity, flexibility, cross-referencing, history, examples, and tips. Its erstwhile visionary and chief lexicographer describes it here. I'll leave you with this thought: 4 billion words. Yes, with a B.

• For those who are thinking ahead, early discount registrations is ending soon for several major annual multi-day writers' events, including the American Society of Journalists & Authors Conference, April 25-26; and Book Expo America, May 28-31, both in New York City.

• In the spirit of her memoir, My Mother's Daughter, Rona Maynard, the former editor-in-chief of the popular Canadian women's magazine Chatelaine, is posting stories from readers over at her website, all chronicling the mother-daughter bond.

• It's always interesting to me (if not exactly enlightening) when the mainstream press attempts to parse the literary publishing world for the general reader. The Daily Beast tried it here the other day.

• I'll admit, I'm not all that knowledgeable (or involved in the support) of the wider world of arts and culture beyond the literary -- a combination probably of upbringing, limited exposure and the fact that only just very recently did I come to understood (and a bit reluctantly at that) how the word "artist" applies to me. Now that I've come to know many different kinds of artists (many whose work bridges writing and some other art form), I've been trying to make up for lost time, which is why I've been exploring Arts Journal, the Daily Digest of Art, Culture & Ideas.

•April is National Poetry Month, and so next month I'll host several guest posts from poets. I'm particularly interested in the intersection of poetry and prose, and in the impact which reading and writing poetry can have on one's nonfiction writing. Meanwhile, you can sign up here and the Academy of American Poets will send you an emailed poem each day of the month.

Have a great weekend. And let's see if we can all get Spring to cooperate and arrive on schedule, shall we?