If you’re looking for a gift for the special writer in your life, you can skip the funny T-shirt or the coffee mug with a motivational quote this time. Most writers need practical things that won’t cost you a dime and earn you endless gratitude.

An hour of delightful conversation and good company in a historic building—what could be better? If you’re in the vicinity of Vallejo, California, on Dec. 22, join Filipino-American author Cindy Fazzi for a book event at the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.

An article in the Times-Herald (Vallejo, Calif.) puts the spotlight on Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s little-known love affair in the 1930s with Isabel Rosario Cooper, a young Filipino actress. “Though Cooper’s existence is not a secret, it’s hardly front row center anywhere until ‘My MacArthur,’” according to the story, referring to the historical novel by Filipino-American author Cindy Fazzi.

Bookworms who like to spend time online are likely to encounter Marie Lavender’s name either as the author of 24 books in different genres or as the writer behind several popular blogs, including the top-ranked I Love Romance Blog.

The latest VIDA Count reveals a slow movement toward gender parity in literary magazines, with only two of the 15 major publications evaluated showing 50 percent or more women writers.

Is Bitcoin as good as Monopoly money? Worse than gambling? Well, no matter your opinion, the word itself is now official. Bitcoin is among the 850 new words recently added by Merriam-Webster to its online dictionary.

Tory Hartmann, publisher of the Sand Hill Review Press, has acquired Cindy Fazzi’s literary debut, My MacArthur, a fictionalized account of General Douglas MacArthur’s tumultuous love affair with Isabel Rosario Cooper, a Filipino actress.

It has been four years since I launched this blog. I’ve decided to move to Squarespace.com for a much needed upgrade in design and functionality.

The U.S. federal budget for fiscal year 2019 shows a slightly higher funding for agencies that support the literary and arts community after Congress rejected the Trump administration’s proposal to phase out those organizations. Under the 2019 budget approved in February, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH) will see a $3 million increase in their funding, and $9 million more for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

As they say, spring is the time of new beginnings. It’s also the best time to submit your unpublished manuscripts. Three small publishers are open to unagented submissions for the next couple of months.