Jansplaining

Jansplaining

Letters from a Reader

Letter from a Reader 11.22.25

Bad instructions to National Book Awards judges, the 'page 69 test' for books, a 'disastrous' book-to-film adaptation that opens Friday, Hemingway's chest hair, and more

Jan Harayda's avatar
Jan Harayda
Nov 22, 2025
∙ Paid
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Thing With Feathers / Lobo Films via IMDb

Judges for the National Book Awards received only one instruction from their sponsor, the chair of the nonfiction jury told the crowd that gathered on Wednesday night for the black-tie prize ceremony at the posh Cipriani Wall Street.

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Jansplaining to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Jan Harayda
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture