Smatter This

Janet Maslin extols the virtues of Charlie Huston while Patrick Anderson is not so impressed with Ira Berkowitz.

Michiko Kakutani is wowed by Jayne Anne Phillips’ long-awaited new novel LARK AND TERMITE.

More on Murder One’s impending close from the Times Online, Martin Edwards, and Angolo Nero.

And Stacey’s Bookstore in San Francisco will close its doors in March. More details at the SF Chronicle.

But in better news, Drenka Willen has been re-hired at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Oline Cogdill interviews Olen Steinhauer about his standout new novel THE TOURIST.

Rick Mofina talks to Reuters about his new standalone thriller SIX SECONDS.

Daniel Suarez chats with USA Today about the unusual publication path for his debut novel DAEMON.

The good folks at Murder by the Book talk to the Houston Chronicle about the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris.

The Oregonian’s Steve Duin pens a mash note to Hannah Berry for her graphic novel BRITTEN AND BRULIGHTLY, about which I’ll say more later except that it’s phenomenal.

Richard Yates’ biographer Blake Bailey discusses the author’s depiction of women in Slate.

10 questions for Richard North Patterson at CBS News for his new novel ECLIPSE, reviewed by Art Taylor at the Washington Post.

Happy birthday, Sherlock Holmes!

Nick Mamatas on why teaching Edgar Allan Poe in schools sucks the joy out of reading the master’s work.

Premiering on Australian TV: CARLA CAMETTI, PD.

Literary critic Tom LeClair has moved to Brooklyn to review books….and play table tennis. (via)

This makes me tremendously sad.

And finally, pictures from the abandoned soundstage of THE WIRE’s final season.