Sapling issue #851

The one in which we talk to Peg Alford Pursell of WTAW Press.

Hi writers.

This week in AI / Book news, did you try out Grammarly’s “Expert Review?” The short-lived feature, which “offered AI-generated writing advice delivered via sock puppet versions of living and dead writers, all created without their permission,” is now kauput following a swift backlash. Cute idea, but get permission / do better, Grammarly!

And, in the UK, a blank anthology spearheaded by composer and artists’ copyright vigilante Ed Newton-Rex was released earlier this month, including “contributions” from big name authors including Kazuo Ishiguro, Philippa Gregory, Jeanette Winterson, and Alan Moore, as reported by LitHub. Don’t Steal This Book is part literary prank, part protest against AI training models built on stolen work. The empty book is being distributed at the London Book Fair.

Now, here’s what’s happening in the small press world this week.

—Kit
Managing Editor / Sapling editor
Black Lawrence Press

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