Rarely Likable

Little linkbucket

A book cover gone awry.

Rik Mayall, poet. (via John Baker, who also has an interesting post about character blogs)

Michael Patterson, faux novelist. This is where I should admit that I am reading Schulz and Peanuts mostly in proper order, but I did flip to the index and read the stuff about Lynn Johnston. And here's some background information about the kerfluffle surrounding that book.

An interview with Chris Baty, founder of National Novel Writing Month.

Blake Butler breaks down a book I picked up yesterday, BANR (is that an acronym yet? probably not) 2007.

Ward Six talks about weird stories, and the comments make a reading list.

And finally, I'm with Lee on this one: Kitchen Nightmares > Bionic Woman.

The Posting Before Kitchen Nightmares Starts (Yes, Yes, Hell, Handbasket) Linkbucket

I am looking forward to what will likely be a treat of a Nobel post from Max (Bookfox with the bookie odds, by the way), and in the meantime there's the National Book Award nominee post. I've read the Joshua Ferris and Lydia Davis books, and think they're both quite worthy. Some nice hurray for short story collections...Nova likes collections, too.

Joshua Henkin guest hosts at The Happy Booker. More to read over at Powell's.

More on Rachel Swirsky's work.

Something to add to my wishlist.

It wouldn't be a linkbucket without some Saunders stuff.

Chapbooks on the cheap. Very tempting.

Rhian raises excellent points regarding YouKnowWhatMo.

The life of a FAQ writer.

This would make me gleefully read the local Sunday paper.

This entry's PSA: If you have a blog and your fiction or poetry or art or whatever appears on another website, I like to know. So mention it and provide linkage, as this gentleman did.

All together now! There's room in the car for everyone!

And finally: another Holy Bible to add to the Internet pile.

85 Degrees in October, WTF, Linkbucket

I feel very badly about this, but I booted a lot of stuff about creative writing MFAs from the linkbucket list this week. There's just so much right now, and I am but one person. Go hit Technorati and see for yourself. I'll wait.

Tod will sign books at a Sonic, therefore he is part of the conspiracy.

More love for Oscar Wao.

Mark on Harry, Revised. Appearing on Amazon.com officially a defining moment of this writerly generation.

George Saunders speaks at Pitt, is again a nice guy "who wants people to like him".

I don't talk a lot about literary criticism here, and most people seem to show up for the occasional Lazy Town references and Idiocracy movie quotes. But I really enjoyed this piece.

Gwenda talks vampires.

Cellphone novels. (via)

Tips for clueless writers and editors.

A Non-Litblog Linkbucket

Happy Banned Books Week!

It was bound to happen: AWP arrives on Gawker. Also, I am types six and seven.

The Morning News on finding a drummer for your band.

Best Star Wars action figure website I've seen in a long time, and a list of top 50 dystopia movies. (both via)

Saving this Discworld reading guide for later.

Southland Tales, or as I like to call it, The Movie That The Donnie Darko Guy Made? It's Got The Rock, Justin Timberlake, and Sarah Michelle Gellar In It?  trailer and other info. Dystopia and comic books!

(Litblog linkbucket coming soon. Guh, you people are killing me with the high quality lately!)

The I Probably Missed More than Usual Linkbucket

John Baker talks about his notebook. My notebook is in my nightstand right now...if I forget to put it back in my bag? There are going to be problems.

Nutmeggaz repraZENT, yo!

This installment's fit of geographical envy: Ithaca.

The idea looks nice on the box, but I don't know. (via Ed, who Jonathan Franzen is totally missing out on, omg. And who also has made one of my commutes this upcoming week much more palatable...the iPod is synced, the car is ready.)

Another take on the VQR title thing. Even before I read this, I thought OPI had some of the most memorable nail polish names.  (And looking at the page now...I want me a bottle of Siberian Nights.)

WriterCon AWP's schedule for this winter. Tell me if you're going, as I also intend to make this a See In Person A Bunch Of People I Either Haven't Seen in Ages or At AllCon.

Santa Wickett offers this year's EWN pony.

I am again reminded of a book I need to investigate.

Further proof (still elusive to me, as a once-every-six-weeks-log-in-and-find-it-still-annoying user) that Second Life is slightly more than drive by penising.

Mark Z. Danielewski reads in Pittsburgh. Shallow as a kiddie pool Connecticut blogger mumbles that he looks kinda hot, wonders if he's on Facebook.

As you may have figured out by now, I like linking Steve because he really pisses people off. He's the voice that reminds us that the world of books and reading is about a hell of a lot more than you and me. I've got BASS 07 on my desk, looking forward to checking it out.

If you had my day job, you'd already kinda know this...and that it's not just military bases.

Gordon identifies the quintessential post-MFA film. I think it was reading about The Stones of Summer in 2002 that clued me in to the existence of litblogs.

And finally...I'm not a redhead right now, but me too. (via one of my oldest blog subscriptions, Pop Culture Junk Mail)

The That's What You Get For IMing With People All Day And Letting Your Feeds Go To Hell Linkbucket

Though it must be said...I spent much of the afternoon working on a story that I hadn't looked at in months, and I now get why and how it needs to be fixed. And only minimal IMing. Go me! Anyway, on with the show:

This isn't the Junot Diaz article I was talking about before, but it's worth a look for similar reasons. Even though the second last question really irritated the hell out of me...since, after all, women NEVER write about science fiction, fantasy, adventure stories or comic books. That said, I fully intend to pick up The Brief and Wondrous Novel I'm Certain I Will Love today. And looking forward to anything else author reading reporter extraordinaire Callie has to say about the Diaz reading she went to.

Armand offers his list, and this: The least number of times that I have submitted a short story before it was accepted was about 12 times. The most was about 65.  My writer-mood meter goes up accordingly! I get why no one talks about rough submitting your work can be...but sometimes? It's good to hear it from outside the confines of your own cranium. That said, the rejection slip mentioned here has to be one of the best. That one, I'd print out and pin up if it was mine.

The first installment is so good (featuring Rachel Swirsky, who's done Clarion and is currently at Iowa, which makes me think of that old Reese's peanut butter cup commercial for some reason...) that I'm very much looking forward to more of Conversations with the Bookless.

One that will surely make the rounds...the government watches what you read on airplanes.  And is anyone else bothered by the news items that seem to hit on Saturdays lately?

I signed up for this beta, mostly because I'm a beta signup whore. But it could be interesting, we'll see. That reminds me...if you've been looking to get a Grand Central invite, drop me a line.

I've been trying to cut back on saying mean things, and it's working. But trying to cut back on laughing at mean things other people say? Pretty much a lost cause for me. Exhibit A (Note to Whitney: click on this one, if no other).

I don't know who does the Morning and Afternoon Headlines at The Morning News, but...damn. They're always awesome -- subscribe, already.

One answer to this question:  a t-shirt from this place signed by this author.

Soon to be YA author Dale Peck talks about The Outsiders.

Someday I will stay up until 4am doing something besides playing video games, and I will create a blog entry about writing as theology. For now, though, here's an interesting read. (via ... okay, Whitney, I lied. You will also want to see this one, courtesy of the same blog.)

Maud offers an interesting take on day jobs and guilt.

Today's PSA: I'm glad when people link older blog entries of theirs, because then I get to read terrific entries that I missed before I was a regular reader.  So do this more often, everyone.

Sneaking in some more video game stuff...do you suppose they met at a bar called O'Malley's? (via)

Today's location envy: Toronto!

And finally...u can has meme fusion at its finest.

In the Midst of Editing Other Things Linkbucket

Back with actual posts soon. But in light of the title of this post, props to this. (via lots)

As much as I read the first book of The Wheel of Time series and decided it was really not for me, I read about writers dying with unfinished work and think it's too bad.

Yet another writer whose work I need to track down and git in mah TBR pile. And I want this book now now now.

This conference looks interesting...but I am already sworn to quest for AWP.

Yeah...pretty much. Man, is the rest of the world going to be pissed.

Graham Greene's love life in letters. And, does it matter if a novelist is anything but a novelist?  (both via Maud)

Geoff Ryman's guest of honor speech at BOREAL 2007.

Doing anything this weekend? I'm the wheelman for a birthday party on Sunday, otherwise I'd consider it.

How to really write what you know. Continued here.

I know someone who says for all intensive purposes pretty regularly.

This just in: What Roddy Doyle's up to. Sounds interesting!

Facebook has arrived. I am pretty sure this link is where you can friend me...please do!

It's linkbucket time again

First off: I am looking forward to this more than this. And that's...a lot, especially when you consider the fight scenes involved all around.

Lee needs a hug, as do we all sometimes. Lots of writers suck! Including Nabokov, who doesn't.

Patricia on Elizabeth Smart and By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept, which I've always speculated (though I haven't read the book, so maybe I shouldn't) was really about this.

One of the hardest working men in litblogdom on Best American Short Stories 2007, complete with EWN tally.

Writers and jealousy. This is another one of those topics I myself need to make into an entry someday. Here's more on writer's block, by the way. And writing about work.

An excellent writing meme that needs to get around.

Expect to possibly see this around here sometime soon.

Something I have never, ever, understood.

Screw twisty roads, soccer moms and NY style pizza...I want to live in Pittsburgh!

Junot Diaz, cult hero and reading giver extraordinaire. If anyone knows where to find the article in which Diaz talks about spending a long time writing an apocalyptic novel, can you send me the link? I read it and promptly neglected to save it.

I want to slide this post under a couple of people's doors in the dead of night...but let me make clear, not everyone's doors.

And finally, because I know there has to be someone who  missed it the first time...the recent Metafilter thread on Norwegian death metal. You're welcome.

Last gasp of summer linkbucket

This one has to be quick and relatively free of commentary, unfortunately. Have a good rest of the weekend.

Five authors Scott's discovered this year, #1 I've wanted to track down for a while now.

George Saunders on Letterman! Former student chimes in (speaking of wanting to track down...)!  And he blogged at Powell's! Mini interview at Maud's! It's getting to a point where someone needs to just make a crazed-fan blog so that I can keep track of all this stuff.

Max breaks down the Booker shortlist.

Upstreet's Vivian Dorsel on Our Lady of the Lost and Found.

Michelle relates a tale of academia many others could relate to.

Ann Patchett on a quote from the Atlantic article that had stuck with me.

This kind of thing is why I love to go to readings.

Woot, more fuel for my commute! And something for me to read the next time I'm in the waiting room!

Shades of Divided Kingdom.

I'm sure everyone's heard about Madeleine L'Engle's death by now -- another nice tribute here. Apparently L'Engle was at a nursing home not very far from me. In light of her books, it may be interesting to note that the weather was picture-perfect in northwestern Connecticut this week, up until Friday morning, when it turned hot and unpleasant.

A smaller linkbucket is a no less important linkbucket.

The Fall 07 installment of The Quarterly Conversation is up.  Lots of familiar names, lots of interesting content.

Fifty writers name underrated and sometimes out-of-print novels. (Don't despair...this is what Amazon Marketplace is for!)

Matthew Cheney responds to a review of Best American Fantasy, and in doing so provides great perspective from an often silent point of view.

Carolyn on truth, lies, and fiction.

Idea goldmines!

This year's New Yorker Festival breakdown. There's a lot of hotness, and I'm going to have to ponder this a little more than I thought I would.

30 Poems in 30 Days sounds like an interesting project...one that this fiction writer is more tempted by than she's willing to admit.