Bites: The last Nobel mentions (maybe…), libraries in trouble, browsing, new Tom Waits, Mussolini working for the Brits, and more

One final Nobel link roundup. The New Yorker on President Obama’s “Nobel surprise“. N+1 says: “The peace prize’s reputation makes it a powerful tool. It’s not always the right tool, and it’s not always effective, but it’s good to have around.” “Herta who?” Drama over the economics Nobel winner? Lit. Dave Eggers, Jay Leno, and Roger Ebert.  What do they all have in common?  They are all in a book talking about their favorite childhood books. Over at McSweeney’s, a […]

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David Foster Wallace and Dan Brown walk into a classroom together…

I was thinking that the title would seem like the start of a really funny joke, but it is something that actually happened.  Via The Faster Times: the two authors were in a creative writing workshop together at Amherst college. Can you even imagine the workshop comments they gave each other? That’s a pretty weird connection, but at this point, we are used to the “six degrees of David Foster Wallace” thing.  However, what I find really dark here, is […]

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Bites: Turdsworth, the man who makes Pekar tweet, The Twilight Sad, and more

Romantics get saucy!  Lord Byron referred to William Wordsworth as “Turdsworth” in a letter.  Now somebody can own that letter, and many others by the poet. Are we excited seeing trailers for the new Wes Anderson film, Fantastic Mr. Fox?  Yes we are. Lit. Jeff Newelt: The man, the myth, the dude who tweets for Harvey Pekar. Nick Cave: “An aspirant solipsist” Starbucks saved a life, but how was the book? After all this zombie talk, it was finally time […]

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