1. Words Without Borders’ February issue is all comix! Or comix and graphics, to be more precise. But this is some pretty special stuff. I have a feeling this is going to be many people’s favorite WWB issue so far.

2. John Allen Cassady, the extremely lovable and talented son of Neal Cassady, now has his own website.

3. Anne Fernald says “I really think it’s a masterpiece”, and, well, I think she’s right. Wizard of the Crow is a magical, hilarious and very original new novel, and the Litblog Co-op is trying to get the world’s attention about this fact. We’ll be discussing Ngugi Wa Thiongo’s work (and hearing from the author directly in a podcast) later this week at the LBC blog.

4. I’ve recently been shouting about the ridiculous practice of hardcover-only book publishing (you may have noticed this). Well, I’m really glad to see developments like this. Yay, MacAdam/Cage! [via EWN].

5. Via Rake’s Progress, here’s a very good short film featuring James Joyce and Samuel Beckett on a golf course. “Ye think I’m fecking blind? Giving me a five [iron], and I the cock o’ the land?” Stuff like that.

6. Via Things, here’s Norman Mailer and Rip Torn in a fist fight. Reminds me of the Bears vs. the Colts. If Mailer could have looked ahead to The Larry Sanders Show, he would have known Rip Torn’s a tough bastard.

7. And, finally, via Inq., word is out that Franz Kafka’s secret diaries are online.