Here's a roundup of literary news that caught my eye:

-- Scholars have found a mid-1800's plantation diary that appears to be the inspiration for names, incidents and details of William Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County, the New York Times reports. “I think it’s one of the most sensational literary discoveries of recent decades,” said John Lowe, an English professor at Louisiana State University who is writing a book on Faulkner.

-- Now that Dante's Inferno has been transformed into a video game, ("Select a circle of hell, the website implores") Wired magazine suggests other books that could be used for inspiration. It's an interesting list -- I love like the reimagining called Mark Twain's F.I.N.N. and the possibilities for Moby Dick. But the list also includes a sci-fi version of Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" -- missing the point that the title is a meta4.

-- Herb Simon, owner of the Indiana Pacers pro basketball team, has bought Kirkus Reviews, the Times reports. The journal of prepublication book reviews was targeted for closure in December. Simon, who made millions as a shopping center developer, may seem like an unlikely angel, but the Times notes that he also is co-owner of Tecolote Books, an independent bookstore in Montecito, Cal.