Short Takes

Their relationship may have been shortlived, but proceeds from the sale of the $34,000 engagement ring that Aaron Buerge gave to Helene Eksterowicz will go a long way. Eksterowicz, a psychologist at Herma Simmons Elementary School in Clayton, NJ, and a contestant on The Bachelor, is donating part of her share from the sale of the 2.78–carat Harry Winston diamond ring to start an audio library in her school's media center. "I wanted to see the money donated locally," says Eksterowicz, 29. The ring, which was sold on eBay after 52 bids, fetched $28,500.

To kick off April as National Poetry Month, the Academy of American Poets has launched the National Poetry Almanac, a Web-based resource featuring poetry-related activities, ideas, and history for individual exploration and classroom use. The almanac is available at www.poets.org.

Will she or won't she? Harry Potter fans are still scratching their heads over J. K. Rowling's cryptic answer to a question about a possible eighth volume in the series. When asked by a fan during a recent live Web chat to commemorate World Book Day, Rowling—who has said she will write only seven Potter books—replied, "Probably not. But I'll never say never because every time I do, I immediately break the vow." And how does she feel about seeing kids reading her books? "Incredibly proud," said Rowling, adding, "sometimes I want to poke them in the back and say, 'Guess who?'"

Críticas, the only U.S. magazine devoted to the Spanish-language publishing market, has unveiled its first comprehensive directory of domestic and international publishers in the U.S. Spanish-language market. The Críticas Spanish Language Publishing Marketplace Directory features information on numerous national and international publishers, distributors/wholesalers, libraries, bookstores, translators, literary agents, mass media organizations, cultural organizations, associations, and trade fairs working within the U.S. Spanish-book market.