Smatterings

With regards to Newsweek’s cover story on Amazon Kindle, I’m with Michael Cader: “Amazon wanted a reporter who would write a long gooey piece about how

the Kindle will transform the reading and writing experience, a new

gloss on the piece reporters have been getting wrong for at least a

decade now, and they found their man easily in Newsweek’s Steve Levy.” If Amazon had priced it at, say, $200 and offered e-books at an introductory bulk price of buy 4, get 1 free or something, maybe I’d pay more attention. Though I suspect we all will in a few years’ time…

Per HarperCollins’ UK MD Victoria Barnsley, “more people want to write a book than read a book.” How friggin’ scary is that?

The NEA collates several studies together and comes to the same conclusion they did a few years ago: reading is still, allegedly, in serious decline.

The NYT’s Joanne Kaufman looks into why book groups are hot, hot, hot.

Patrick Anderson enjoys Ronan Bennett’s ZUGZWANG and reminisces about Norman Mailer.  ‘

The Santa Cruz Sentinel’s Matt King wants NYRB Classics curator Edwin Frank’s job. (via)

Penguin UK finally moves into their open-plan offices, and Joel Rickett has the scoop on one of my favorite geeky topics ever.

David Chariandy’s SOCOUYANT continues to attract attention now that it’s been nominated for the Governor-General Prize in Canada.

This is a Facebook group I should join on principle.

Broadway is dark until further notice.

And finally, this video is fascinating on multiple levels.