Some things that caught our attention this week.

• Liu Xiaobo Passes Away
  Liu Xiaobo, writer and activist, who was recently released from a Chinese prison for health reasons, has died. He was mourned by writers at a candlelight vigil last night organized by PEN America. Liu had received the 2009 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award and the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, but was jailed by the Chinese government for his political stance.

   

• Denis Johnson to Receive Posthumous Award from Library of Congress
  Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced that Denis Johnson will receive posthumously the 2017 Prize for American Fiction. The honor will be bestowed at the National Book Festival, September 2, in Washington, DC. Johnson’s widow, Cindy Johnson, will accept the award on his behalf.