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Proof That Alt-Right Internet Trolls are Boring
Buzzfeed gets a draft of Milio Yiannopoulus’s memoir, Amazon buys Whole Foods and other literary news
Summer Fridays are usually sleepy days in the literary world, when editors and writers a like are out chasing ice cream trucks by 2pm. Not so, last week. BuzzFeed got their hands on a the draft of Milio Yiannopoulus’s book, and apparently it’s a bore. Amazon is moving into the grocery aisle as it plans on buying Whole Foods, and Israeli author David Grossman has won the Man Booker International Prize.
BuzzFeed got its hands on the draft of Milo Yiannopoulos’s forthcoming book
Now, I know everyone is just so excited about Milo Yiannopoulus’s new book, but before you spend July 4th waiting in line to get your hands on it, we have some bad news: apparently, it’s terrible. BuzzFeed has acquired the draft of Dangerous, a book surrounded by a great deal of controversy — both because of the author and its original publication plans. Simon & Schuster was the original publisher of the book, offering Yiannopoulus a $250K contract late last year; but when videos of the former Breitbart editor seemingly condoning pedophilia emerged in February, the publishing powerhouse backed out of the deal (the book is now being self-published). According to BuzzFeed, the 200-page draft contains no gossip and nothing newsworthy, unless readers are interested in his beauty regimen, which is apparently discussed extensively in the manuscript. Yiannopoulos has organized the book in sections titled after people who supposedly hate him, including “Why Twitter Hates Me,” “Why Ugly People Hate Me,” etc. The basic sentiment behind the book’s argument is one Milo has always preached: you should be able to say what you want and not have to feel apologetic about it. Boring and outdated, BuzzFeed calls the draft a “staggering failure.” Let’s just hope Yiannopoulus doesn’t improve the draft based on Buzzfeed’s pro-bono editorial note.
Amazon buys out Whole Foods in $13.4 billion deal
In its continuous quest to infiltrate every aspect of life, Amazon will add organic groceries to the list of things it wants to sell you. After opening up a series of bookstores, the online shopping powerhouse is continuing its quest for physical property — this time in the form of supermarkets. On Friday, Amazon announced that it will buy out grocery chain Whole Foods for a meager $13.4 billion (if we’re talking in terms of the steep price scale of the ritzy food store). Amazon, now the largest internet company by revenue in the world, has come a long way since its beginnings as an online bookstore. This purchase will allow for the online retailer to move into the grocery industry, a business worth $700–800 billion in yearly sales in America. Despite the transfer of power, the chain would retain its name, its Austin headquarters, and its current CEO John Mackey. Through the deal, Amazon will acquire over 460 stores across the United States, Canada, and Britain, raising questions about if and how technology will be incorporated into the food stores. Should we expect to find discounted books, vacuums, and school supplies galore scattered through the Whole Foods produce aisles?
[NYTimes/Michael J. de la Merced and Nick Wingfield]
Before the Internet, TV Guide was the Place for Smart Criticism
Israeli author David Grossman has won the Man Booker International Prize
Israeli author David Grossman has won the Man Booker International Prize for his stand-up book about a stand-up comedian. A Horse Walks into a Bar was translated by Jessica Cohen, whom Grossman will split the £50,000 monetary reward with. Grossman’s novel was chosen from 126 titles, which were narrowed down to a 13-book longlist and a 6-book shortlist, among which were books from Norway, France, and Argentina. The book is about a comedian in a small Israeli town who breaks down on stage in front of his audience. This is the first year the Man Booker International Prize has been awarded to a single book; before 2016, the award was given every second year to an author for her entire body of work.
[The Guardian/Sian Cain]
