Shelbi Polk on Muck Rack

Shelbi Polk

Dallas, Durham
As seen in: Medium, MSN, Flipboard, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Charlotte Observer, Arizona Daily Star, The News & Observer, San Luis Obispo Tribune, The State, Fayetteville Observer and
Covers:  Culture (especially books!), nonprofits
I like to write about books @indyweek and @byshondaland @electriclit

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Shelbi Polk’s Journalist Portfolio

"Any Story You Tell, You Wind Up Telling On Yourself In Some Way": Talking With John Darnielle Ab...

"Any Story You Tell, You Wind Up Telling On Yourself In Some Way": Talking With John Darnielle Ab...

The Durham musician's new book, "This Year: 365 Songs Annotated," is a close read of some of The Mountain Goa…

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Why We're All Swooning for Romance Books

Why We're All Swooning for Romance Books

Writer Shelbi Polk explores all the ways the romance genre has evolved and why, simply put, we're forever fan…

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Durham Author and Activist adrienne maree brown On Navigating Relationships With Care

Durham Author and Activist adrienne maree brown On Navigating Relationships With Care

"Loving Corrections," the latest book in adrienne maree brown's Emergent Strategy series, comes out on August…

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History, addiction and community in Tommy Orange's latest novel - High Country News

History, addiction and community in Tommy Orange's latest novel - High Country News

A Q&A with the author of 'Wandering Stars' and 'There, There.'

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Margaret Atwood Is No "Prophet of Dystopia." She's Just Studying History - Shelbi-Polk

Margaret Atwood Is No "Prophet of Dystopia." She's Just Studying History - Shelbi-Polk

The prolific, award-winning writer discusses her latest short story collection, "Old Babes in the Wood," and …

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Ottessa Moshfegh's 'Lapvona' Reflects the Darkest Ills of Human Nature - Shelbi-Polk

Ottessa Moshfegh's 'Lapvona' Reflects the Darkest Ills of Human Nature - Shelbi-Polk

The critically acclaimed writer discusses the new, twisted, deeply unsettling world of Lapvona with Shelbi Po…

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Articles

At Raleigh’s Bright Side Books & Wine, Love Stories of Every Stripe and a Robust Community of Romance Readers

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By Shelbi Polk
| Indy Week Verified
If social media presents an existential threat to reading as a pastime, no one has yet told the romance readers. Apps like TikTok and Instagram have thriving communities of readers—nicknamed BookTok and Bookstagram, respectively—ready to dissect their favorite books. Within these online communities, romance fans are a particularly visible set.
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“Any Story You Tell, You Wind Up Telling On Yourself In Some Way”: Talking With John Darnielle About His New Book

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By Shelbi Polk
| Indy Week Verified
John Darnielle, founder and frontman of the band The Mountain Goats and National Book Award-nominated novelist, did not at first find the idea of a lyric book very compelling. His agent pitched the idea during the doldrums of 2020, assuming it would be a good pandemic project. But Darnielle knew he wasn’t going to put his name on a simple copying and pasting of the lyrics to his songs.
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Raleigh Author Christopher Ruocchio Is Celebrating the Final Release in His Sun Eater Series In Style

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By Shelbi Polk
| Indy Week Verified
Nearly a decade ago, in 2016, Jenna was on a first date with a fellow NC State University student. Over dinner, her date shared that he’d just sold his first manuscript. Later, Jenna told her family about the date. Her brother brushed the writing news off: “Men will really say anything on their dating profiles!” Fair enough, but this time, that suspicion wasn’t merited. Jenna’s date, Christopher Ruocchio, had indeed just sold a science fiction novel, Empire of Silence, to DAW Books.
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