Roundup

As the Literary Saloon notes, Michel Houellebecq's MOM has written a book about him. And it doesn't sound nice.

I don't want to be this old when I publish my first book. (Also, I really don't want it to rhyme.)

From the Guardian, Jonathan Franzen has called Michiko Kakutani, the lead fiction reviewer for the New York Times, "the stupidest person in New York City." But with the way Kakutani dishes it out, she has to expect this kind of vitriol.

Pranksters try to wheedle cash out of independent bookstores. (via Counterbalance)

I can't resist the premise: Over at Booklist, in addition to the book reviews there is now a short story: a book-reviewer-cum-detective, tracking down the case of the missing crime book.

Howard Junker of ZYZZYVA criticizes editors who include their own work in the pages of the journal they edit -- for instance, Bret Lott, editor of the Southern Review, and Keith Gessen, editor of N+1.

Comments

[Shelly Lowenkopf]

Although not a great fan of Howard Junker (Onward!), I do agree with him about the editor placing his or her work in a journal of his or her editorial scope, even though it is fair to remind of the internal coup when I was editor in chief of The Santa Barbara Review, deposed by the board and then, some time later, made aware that a story of mine had "come their way," and found space in one of the final issues.