Landscape architect Diana Balmori gives Stacked Up the scoop on her favorite reads.

The New York Public Library’s board named Anthony Marx its new president on Wednesday. He'll replace outgoing president Paul LeClerc next summer who was behind the helm of the library system for the past 17 years.

The literature on Abstract Expressionism and its New York environs is vast and deep — and incredibly heavy. (We have the multiple hernias to prove it.) If you’re interested in learning a little more about the period, the movement, its artists and their legacies, check out WNYC's list of some of the most informative reads.

Nicknamed the "Genius Grant," the honor is a no-strings-attached gift of $500,000 distributed to individuals who exhibit creativity and originality in their fields. This year's bunch includes, among others, writers, scientists and a type designer.

Tuesday will be the first day of reduced operating hours at some branches of the New York Public Library. The libraries are cutting hours to close budget gaps, and officials say that the reduced hours are a result of "difficult choices," and that many branches will be operating with very limited staffing.

Bookstores nationwide are releasing Jonathan Franzen’s novel Freedom to the public on Tuesday. Franzen’s new book is a chronicle that examines the notion of family, history and personal liberty in our time.

Dave Eggers and Amiri Baraka are among more than a dozen winners of the 31st annual American Book Awards, which were announced on Thursday. The awards, first established by the Before Columbus Foundation in 1978, are given for literary works that cover "the entire spectrum of America's diverse literary community."

"Quagmire!" "Flabbergasted!" “ Doldrums!"

He was one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in The World. Maybe now the world will finally believe it when novelist David Mitchell says Star Trek is cool. 

Jennifer 8. Lee, says there are three problems with having a Kindle. "One is that if you go to a book signing, what do you have the author sign?," she asks. And the other?  "It's kind of dangerous to bring into the bathroom or bathtub." 

When flipping open a favorite book, it's easy to skip over the small "translated by" line.

But, in reality, translating is as much of an art form as writing an original work. The history of translation is as old as the history of printing and publishing itself, and it will always be an important component of writing and of literature.

A new biography of the writer gets us digging for a rare interview from WNYC.

With the World Cup heading into its final two weeks, all eyes are set on host nation South Africa. Sixteen years after the election of Nelson Mandela and the end of apartheid, it's an opportunity for South Africa to show the world the vibrant, multi-racial democracy it has become.

But for South African artists both white and black, the traumas of apartheid are never far away. From the Afrikaner novelist to the young black photographer, learning to cope with that past continues to shape the way they make art.

A work of fiction, a work of non-fiction, and a collection of short stories that you shouldn't miss.

"It’s an apocalyptic summer,” Jason Boog says about the publishing industry. Boog, the publishing editor of mediabistro.com, is referring to the fact that this is the first summer e-books have impacted the market in a big way. With three e-reader devices — the Kindle, Nook, and now the iPad — becoming ubiquitous, publishers are taking this new market very seriously.

Summer is a perfect time to stay inside and get lost in a novel. Just kidding.

Get out into the sunshine, and take those bookworm tendancies to an area book fair or literary festival. Here are a few we recommend to get you mingling with other well-read folks.

A recovering skinhead, a girl who can taste her mother's emotions, and the grammatical mistakes that drive one woman crazy.

James Joyces' Ulysses chronicles the wanderings of Leopold Bloom through Dublin during an ordinary day: Thursday, June 16, 1904. The 16th has become known as Bloomsday, and literary types and fans of Joyce celebrate the occaision with pub crawls, readings, and re-enactments.

It only took a few hours for Susan Orlean to find out from thousands of people the books that changed their world.  And she didn't even ask. Due to the magic of twitter, she just mentioned that Ron Hansen's book, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford had changed her world and within minutes people were responding with what books had changed theirs.

Author David Goodwillie organizes his books the way he sees New York: “My books are not organized at all, which is kind of how I like it.  Classics mixed in with pop culture mixed in with non fiction and it’s kind of a big mess”.