Most appropriate for the night of the Solstice.  Enjoy!

In Memoriam A.H.H.

CVI.

(Alfred Lord Tennyson)

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

(Read more of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poetry here.)

Editor’s note: ‘Midnight Poetry’ is a showcase for work by poets across the spectrum—from the pantheon of literary giants to contemporary, underground and new voices.

If you would like to submit your work for consideration, please see our Submission Guidelines.

“If you are going to make a book end badly, it must end badly from the beginning.”

-Robert Louis Stevenson

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Get out your Wile E. Coyote umbrellas, for all the good they’ll do ye.  George Melloan warns us well in THE GREAT MONEY BINGE: SPENDING OUR WAY TO SOCIALISM.

Melody Carlson invites peace and prosperity with her book of biblical devotionals for LIFE.

It says Business Book Reviews, but it’s from Dallas, so we all know it’s really the ‘Bidness Book Reviews’.  (Don’t scowl.  I’ve much family in The Lonestar State.)  Anyway, have yer reviews.

The Journal Gazette Times Courier (wha?) composes a nice mixed list for last-minute bookish gifts.

Literary agents Brandi Bowles, Emmanuelle Alspaugh, Colleen Lindsay and Jason Allen Ashlock dispel some of the myths about getting published:

Poet Simon Armitage discusses his “boyish outlook” in an excellent profile. (The Independent)

Laredo laments the loss of its last bookstore. (Wall Street Journal)

Random House Publishing Group announces the launch of free iPhone apps designed to connect bestselling authors and their fans. (Publishers Weekly)

Mike Swift looks at the technical implications of a world ruled by eBooks. (San Jose Mercury News)

“Bond 23″ writer promises a “shocking story.” (Screenrant)

More bizarre censorship in criticism of censorship. (Telegraph)

Jason Boog tracks down the year’s top audiobooks. (GalleyCat)

R.I.P. Christos Lambrakis, publisher and journalist. (Businessweek)

On this day in 1879, Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” opened in Copenhagen. (Today in Literature)

“A good poem contains both meaning and music.”

-Eve Merriam

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An international cooking competition sets the stage for Andrew Friedman’s suspense novel, KNIVES AT DAWN.

Becca Fitzpatrick’s high school fallen angel saga, HUSH, HUSH, may or may not be the next TWILIGHT.  I wonder how she’ll enjoy the constant comparisons.  I should think the size of the royalty checks will tell.

A seasonal family read aloud session could be fun.  Reviewer Scott Langford recommends, A SEASON OF GIFTS, by Richard Peck.

THE MAN IN THE WOOLEN HAT follows up Jane Gardam’s, OLD FILTH, to accolades at The Christian Science Monitor.

Charlotte Mountford pins down the author in Chile:

Tim Adams profiles “ultimate pessimist” and “reclusive soothsayer” Cormac McCarthy. (The Guardian)

Professor Michael Wutz discusses why the novel will never die. (Salt Lake Tribune)

Gary Dexter returns with a new story behind the name, this time looking at Kingsley Amis’s Lucky Jim. (The Telegraph)

Dean Radar rounds up the year’s best poetry books. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Borders CEO not too warm on the idea of a proprietary eReader. (Reuters)

Katy Guest looks back at the year’s most thrilling literary launches. (The Independent)

M.A. Orthofer looks at some of the year’s “best of” lists outside of the U.S. and U.K. (The Literary Saloon)

Oliver Marre tries to figure out why people hate Ian McEwan. (The Telegraph)

Louis de Bernières and other British writers are bringing back the days of the literary salon. (The Guardian)

On this day in 1929, D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterly’s Lover was banned in the United States. (Today in Literature)

“What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.”

-Samuel Johnson

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DEFEND THE REALM: AN AUTHORIZED HISTORY OF MI5, by Christopher Andrew is applauded for even-handedness over at The Washington Times, but I’m immediately suspicious.  If it were truly authorized by British people with the clout to do so, it would have been spelled ‘authorised’.  I’m on to you, Mr. Andrew.

Jazz and what it meant, upon a time, from Ted Gioia in, THE BIRTH AND DEATH OF THE COOL.

If your mind needs a good workout (and whose doesn’t?) Amartya Sen’s, THE IDEA OF JUSTICE, ought to spit you out the back cover with a lot to think about.

The Horn Book Magazine rounds up its recommendations for young readers just in time for the last of the shopping.

From the Early Show’s YouTube description:

The Early Show’s Chris Wragge and Erica Hill interview author John Irving on his new book “Last Night in Twisted River,” the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, and life outside of being a best-selling writer.

Terry Pratchett goes to see for himself if the stage adaptation of Nation was as bad as they critics say. (Telegraph)

Garrett Kenyon surveys “five true-crime masterpieces for your holiday wish list.” (LitKicks)

Spend a minute with Mitch Albom. (The Independent)

Kate Figes walks publishers through a post-mortem of 2009. (The Guardian)

Alan Rinzler talks to Workman and Algonquin editor Jay Schaefer about what it takes for a debut novelist to make that big splash. (The Book Deal)

2009 was a “miserable year” for top authors’ hardcover offerings. (The Independent)

Jason Boog reports on the fallout from Garrison Keillor’s controversial Christmas column. (GalleyCat)

R.I.P. Courtland Dixon Barnes Bryan, author. (AP)

R.I.P.John Edwin Smith, philosopher and author. (NYTimes)

On this day in 1848, Emily Bronte died at the age of 30. (Today in Literature)

“Writing a first novel takes so much effort, with such little promise of result or reward, that it must necessarily be a labour of love bordering on madness.”

-Steven Saylor

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The Huffington Post has a nice feature on the best children’s picture books of the year.

Tracy Daugherty’s subject matter is only part of the story in his HIDING MAN: A BIOGRAPHY OF DONALD BARTHELME.  His style draws nearly as much attention from The Quarterly Conversation - and that’s a good thing.

And the last of the Kirkus Reviews - let’s get ‘em while they’re hot:

They darn-near like T.C. Boyle’s latest short story collection, WILD CHILD.

And I can’t quite tell if they think THE DEATH OF AMERICAN VIRTUE - CLINTON VS. STARR by Ken Gormley, is worth its weighty title.  It certainly would have to be very grim indeed.

From the YouTube description:

A laugh-out-loud middle grade novel from bestselling author, Marcia Thornton Jones about trying to fit in at school, dealing with your not-so-normal family and avoiding the school bully-even if her name is Emily.

Cambridge scores the papers of anti-war poet Siegfried Sassoon. (Reuters)

Library book returned… 99 years past the due date. (WickedLocal)

French court rules against Google in copyright case. (NYTimes)

Meanwhile, a new French startup says it can out-Google Google. (AP)

Brenna Ehrlich shows how 6 authors turned blogs into book deals. (Mashable)

Agents and publishers report that advances for literary fiction debuts have dropped to as little as £500. (theBookseller.com)

Jason Boog looks at the incredible book collection auctioned off by ex-NFL player Pat McInally. (GalleyCat)

Tanya Paperny takes up the debate over the worthiness of MFAs. (Lit Drift)

Amazon sweetening the deal on Kindles with free two-day shipping. (Publishers Weekly)

David Pogue examines whether eBooks should be copy protected. (NYTimes)

On this day in 1946, author Damon Runyon’s ashes were scattered over Broadway. (Today in Literature)

“The book trade is a spiritual barometer of a nation’s well-being.”

-John Buchan

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Forrest Gregg and Andrew O’Toole warm the cockles of the hardcore football fan’s heart with, WINNING IN THE TRENCHES.

National Book Award shortlister, Laini Taylor, earns another endorsement for her latest, LIPS TOUCH: THREE TIMES.

Monsters & Critics recommends the rerelease of Richelle Mead’s first in the series - VAMPIRE ACADEMY SIGNATURE EDITION: A VAMPIRE ACADEMY NOVEL.

And they find that ANSEL ADAMS IN COLOR is more than just a shade different than his most famous work.

From the GalleyCat description:

Right before our eyes, author of CRUSH IT! and social media marketing guru, Gary Vaynerchuk demonstrates how short story authors can create their own author’s platform using the techniques outlined in his book.