Two weeks of backbucket

Congratulations to you both! My litblog grinch heart grew three sizes today.
Various celebrities' best stories ever, and free speculative fiction online. (both via Metafilter)
Writing as rebellion. I grew up in similar socioeconomic circumstances, and I think there's some real truth to this. Also over at Ward Six: "Material" and material.
Mark Vonnegut on Kurt Vonnegut.
io9's SF high season calendar.
A review of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, a hardcover that my seven year old will successfully talk me into buying for us her. She just DEVOURED the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, profiled here. (Via.)
It's not just the economy that's looking to the 1970s for inspiration.
Kafka's The Castle...video game.
Max's Pulitzer roundup.
Kevin Brockmeier will edit Best American Fantasy 3.
MFA Sux0r alerts: Low-res gone very wrong (via Bookfox) and David Leavitt on the dire state of fiction. (Via TEV.)
Callie discusses blogging/writing balance issues. Preach on!
Junot Diaz dystopia novel preview (scroll down). (via Maud)
James Hynes on J.G. Ballard.
And finally: Obsessive Video Montages. I recommend the Lost "WHAT?" compilation, which is somehow even funnier after reading this.