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Hispanic authors and bookstores push for representation in publishing

Authors, readers and publishing industry experts lament the underrepresentation of Hispanic stories in the mainstream world of books, but have found new ways to elevate the literature and resolve misunderstandings. “The stories now are more diverse than they were ten years ago,” said Carmen Alvarez, a book influencer on Instagram and TikTok. Some publishers, independent bookstores and book influencers are pushing past the perception of monolithic experience by making Hispanic stories more visible and discoverable for book lovers. The rise of online book retailers and limited ...

Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ makes history by selling 4 million copies in first week

NEW YORK (AP) — That’s show business for you! Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” has officially sold 4.002 million equivalent album units — which includes album sales and streaming activity — in its first week in the U.S. That is the biggest first week in modern music history; at least, according to Luminate, the industry data and analytics company that began tracking sales in 1991. Swift broke the record set by Adele’s “25,” which sold 3.378 million copies in its first week in 2015 in the U.S. “The Life of a Showgirl” was released ...

As haunted tourism booms, Oregon cashes in on its ghostly past

Come October, Oregon leans hard into the macabre and grabs its share of the more than $30 billion dark tourism market. Chilling tales, brooding weather and historic charm make Oregon an ideal destination for thrill-seeking travelers. Ghost hunters who make the trip are rewarded with dozens of reportedly haunted places to visit, and even more tales from the dark side. With its haunting landscape and heavy skies, Oregon is a natural stage for the unexplainable. The sense that a ghost might be lingering just out of sight, never far from the living, is enough to draw impressive ...

A team of artisans brings Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ to life

NEW YORK (AP) — When Tamara Deverell, the production designer on Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” first strode across the nearly finished set of Victor Frankenstein’s lab, she couldn’t help herself. Deverell had by then spent countless hours toiling over the film’s ...