Links for your Tuesdsay

No doubt some folks will pounce eagerly upon this news and expound at length, but I’m just going to report that Gregory Rabassa, who’s translated a whole host of literary giants, is now writing his own book about–what else?–the vagaries of translating books. Sounds like it’ll be a must-read.

Maud’s latest “Making Book” interview is with blog favorite Jonathan Ames, who divulges a wealth of information about what really goes on in writer’s colonies–some writing, but much more drinking. As a veteran of three Bouchercons, all I have to say is–well, duh…

Meanwhile, Julian Rathbone is interviewed at the Times’ business section about the nitty-gritty and economics of writing. I wish more writers would go public with this sort of thing. (link from Ed.)

Crap. The Bookseller is going subscriber-only, which means that there’s one source I rely on a regular basis that is essentially wiped out.

Robert B. Parker’s new book, DOUBLE PLAY, gets the review treatment at USA TODAY. They like it, but find it a bit too frothy considering the subject matter–Jackie Robinson in 1947–could have had a deeper treatment. Me, I just got annoyed because Putnam did that whole wide margin/increased font business. Can we stop this madness already? If the book’s only 60,000 words, then treat it as such, not like a 100,000 word novel….

Thriller writer John Weisman, whose new conspiracy novel JACK IN THE BOX was reviewed in yesterday’s Washington Post, is interviewed in the Winchester Star.

Speaking of the WaPo, Chris Lehmann advises those who might have thought that Paul Cody would be a good novel to read if you’re a fan of Jim Thompson’s THE KILLER INSIDE ME to “move along. Nothing to see here.” Ouch.

Oh good god, it’s a new trend starting–books compressed into text message language. The first victim, er, candidate is Homer’s THE ILIAD. I have to wonder how FINNEGANS WAKE would do after being translated–I suspect it would be more comprehensible….

And finally, ConnellyWatch takes a slightly bizarre turn as he’s the latest crime writer to be interviewed at Bankrate.com. Find out all about the menial jobs he’s held, the advance he got for THE BLACK ECHO (higher than I’d realized), and his addiction to buying computers:

I feel guilty all the time about what I spend money on, but on the work side, I go through computers very quickly because I am just fascinated by technology. If I see a computer that has something new that mine can’t accomplish, I just get it without any real thought. I have these really big shelves that I built in my garage for my old computers because I also don’t want to get rid of them. I upgrade computers at least once a year. I think it helps spur me on to start a new book with a new computer.

As someone who’s been the beneficiary of new gadgets and computer upgrades through the years (thanks, dad) I just have to ask: isn’t it easier just to upgrade parts instead of entire computers?