Black, Gay Lit Trailblazer E. Lynn Harris Dead at 54

Probably not the celebrity, says the 'New York Times'

(NEWSER) - Just because Nicole Richie is a reality TV star doesn't mean she can't also write. In fact, she claims to write every morning, before her family wakes up, and said last year that she writes "all my own stories." How else do you think she'd have had two books published? Er ... a ghostwriter, perhaps? That's the very different story Richie's publisher gives to the New York Times , in its amusing article today about the world of celebrity "novels." More»

Rachel Maddow, Chely Wright also honored

(NEWSER) - The Out 100 list is here, celebrating Ricky Martin—who came out in March —as entertainer of the year. More from the list:

• Johnny Weir: The glamorous Olympic figure skater is named diva of the year.
• Rachel Maddow: The newsmaker of the year says the tragedy of AIDS in the 1980s led her into the areas of activism and politics.
• Nate Berkus: The Oprah Winfrey Show alumni launched his own TV project in May, and is named stylemaker of the year.

An editor was likely the one to polish her prose, says professor

(NEWSER) - Jane Austen is known as a “perfect stylist,” but those perfectly crafted sentences may not actually be hers. After studying 1,100 pages of Austen’s handwritten, unpublished manuscripts, an Oxford professor concluded that “the polished punctuation and epigrammatic style … is simply not there,” she tells the BBC . In its place is a more free-flowing, somewhat untidy style, featuring limited punctuation. More»

Jonathan Franzen's 'Freedom' lands coveted book club slot

(NEWSER) - Nine years after Oprah Winfrey chose Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections for her book club, and the "uncomfortable" novelist talked his way out of appearing on her show, he's getting another chance, reports the New York Post . The media magnate's people won't confirm the Oprah's Book Club selection—likely the last, because her show is ending —but multiple booksellers tell the AP the highly touted Freedom will get the nod tomorrow. More»

Author claims assistant stole $2.7M

(NEWSER) - A long-time assistant has pleaded guilty to embezzling $400,000 from best-selling romance queen Danielle Steel. Kristy Watts admitted depositing checks for Steel into her own bank account and using the author's credit card points to obtain gifts and airline tickets. Steel, who has written 76 best-selling novels, claims Watts defrauded her of $2.7 million and has filed a civil suit against her. More»