The Literary Agent's Invisible Hand: Laura B. McGrath on Middlemen

By Rosa LysterMay 14, 202610 min read

A conversation about what literary agents actually do and why their work is largely invisible.

Lit Hub Weekly: May 18 – 22, 2026

“I never imagined reading books and turning them into movies was a job.” It is, and if you can read a book every two days (and write a book report about it), it could be yours… | Lit Hub Film

Lit Hub Daily·May 23, 2026

Literary Hub

Reconsidering Mary McCarthy’s Iconic Friendship Novel The Group

Just after my novel, Talking to the Wolf, was accepted for publication, I picked up Mary McCarthy’s novel, The Group for the first time. In my own novel, a friend breakup and untimely death changes everything for four women. These

Rebecca Chace·May 22, 2026

The Paris Review

Barthelme, the Houstonian

“Barthelme died in 1989, at the age of fifty-eight. I was at college and heard the news from a friend who worked at a Kinko’s to which one of the Barthelme brothers had brought Don Jr.’s will.”

Susan Choi·May 22, 2026

Public Books

The Novel as Instrument: Sinan Antoon and Michael Allan

Our partner podcast Novel Dialogue invites a novelist and a literary critic to talk about novels from every angle: how we read them, write them, publish them, and remember them. This season’s signature question is: Who was your favorite teacher and why? “I am haunted by history: the history of dictatorship, the history of empire, […] The post The Novel as Instrument: Sinan Antoon and Michael Allan appeared first on Public Books.

Megan Cummins·May 22, 2026

The Conversation

John of John: weaving an island tale of secrets that lie beneath repression and shame

The high drama of Douglas Stuart’s new novel sometimes feels like a soap opera – but his lyrical prose and atmospheric narrative elevate the genre.

Stevie Marsden, Lecturer in Publishing, Edinburgh Napier University·May 22, 2026

The Conversation

What do the Commonwealth Writers Prize AI allegations mean for prizes – and short stories?

Advances in AI platforms have been oddly benchmarked through their engagements with the short story form. What does the latest literary AI scandal tell us?

Julian Novitz, Senior Lecturer, Writing, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology·May 22, 2026