1. Billy Joel had a contract to write a memoir, but got cold feet. Too bad. We know this Long Island boy can write, and I bet he had some stories to tell. The alleged book (my personal guess is that he never began it, though the cover artwork … Read the rest
1. Scientists have discovered linguistic signals indicating that sperm whales may refer to themselves by names when they speak. Sounds like the kind of fact Herman Melville would have been interested to hear. It also makes me think of T. S. Eliot’s cats with their “ineffable, deep and … Read the rest
It’s getting to be around that time in December when I put up a wrap-up post and disappear for a week or two.
I stopped by the Bowery Poetry Club in New York City recently, and was once again energized (a visit always helps) by the spirit in that eclectic … Read the rest
(Here’s our correspondent Alan Bisbort taking on the new version of a classic 1980s text that he never liked … and still doesn’t. — Levi)
The other night in Hartford, Christopher Buckley — you know, of the Stamford Buckleys — was going on about how “uncivil” the world has become. … Read the rest
If it’s summer, and if the New York Times Book Review is touting beach imagery and “Summer Reading” in its current issue, then why the hell am I indoors reviewing it, instead of out there having fun?
Because I’m a dummy, that’s why. But here we go with today’s … Read the rest
Screw stuff white people like. This is stuff I like:
1. With Amazon Crossing, the well-funded online bookstore is taking an active role in publishing international authors across boundaries. Good move, Amazon. Speaking of international authors, a fifth Words Without Borders anthology, Tablet and Pen: Literary Landscapes from the … Read the rest
1. I think it’s pretty amazing that Google is putting deep newspaper archives online, including not only the Halifax Gazette (1753 issue, pictured above) but the complete Village Voice, dating back to the 1950s. You know the phrase “An embarrassment of riches”? This is, to me, an embarrassment … Read the rest
1. The e-book scene (also known as the d-book scene, if you read Booksquare) is buzzing again with news of Amazon’s new iPhone Kindle application, which allows readers to enjoy the considerable benefits of the Kindle store without buying a bulky and expensive dedicated device.
Does this mean I’m … Read the rest
(This is chapter seven of my ongoing memoir of the Internet industry.)
The World Wide Web was a social network from its earliest days, but it wasn’t much like the social networks of today. It was a small world, for one thing, and everybody in it had some degree of … Read the rest
