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Weekend Reading – Books Are Dead, Books Are Alive, And Your E-Book Costs More Than You Think


E-books might be killing books, but that’s okay, because a different of something dash book will come along and kill e-books, so it’s all okay, don’t you see? No? Me, neither.

E-books cost money to make and don’t fool yourself into thinking otherwise.

When all else fails, count on the French to save literary culture (again).

“We have proven to the industry that our business model is well positioned for the future. Now more than ever, customers appreciate our curated selection, our local ownership and close ties to our towns and cities; our many in-store events and the opportunity to connect face-to-face in our stores with other passionate readers. The experiences you create everyday in your stores simply cannot be downloaded or replicated online.”  – Oren Teicher, president of the American Booksellers Association

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Thursday Morning Staff Meeting – KHOJ ÖZEERI


“A last speaker with no one to talk to exists in unspeakable solitude.”

I only know automats from Edward Hopper paintings.

Something is always in decline (but yeah, book reviewing is in decline these days; the St Pete Times got rid of its old, full spread of Sunday book reviews years ago and the Washington Post has followed suit).

But it might help if so many contemporary novels weren’t such c–p.

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In The Future, All Books Will Look Like This


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Weekend Reading – Everyday Is Bloomsday


Was London in the seventies really cooler than Paris in the twenties?

Secret money makes the (Republican’s) world go ’round.

Even after death, James Joyce can be a pain in the butt.

The Ulysses archives.

How build a proper paragraph.

Obamacare means I can finally quit my job and become a full time poet (or start my own small business)!

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Monday Morning Staff Meeting – Why Even Bother?


San Francisco as literature and typography.

Why even bother to read?

What is ‘e-ink’ anyway?

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Friday Reading – Now Recite It From Memory


Vinyl beats the iPod any day of the week.

Poems on mass transit (note the one here in DC, at the Dupont Circle metro).

Making children memorize poetry is great freaking idea!

Memorize a line of poetry every day.

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Thursday Staff Meeting – Enhanced E-books Are Useless


Poetry from our new poet laureate.

Enhanced e-books won’t make your kids into readers.

Whether for good or ill, DC is growing.

…for we are Legion.

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Tuesday Morning Staff Meeting – Kristen Stewart Loves Surrealist Poetry, Apparently


Book Expo America 2012 was all about grown ups reading young adult (teens and tweens) novels – and what’s up with that? Were Michael Crichton’s childlike scribbling too tough on your brain?

Barnes and Noble takes a stand in ebook pricing case.

Kristen Stewart talks about contemporary poetry and maybe I’m getting a little bit closer to respecting Kristen Stewart. But those Twilight movies are still stupid.

The incredible craptitude of Jonah Lerner.

The Little Blue Book… no relation to little black books.

A poet on the Norfolk school board? Maybe someday, but not today.

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Morning Morning Staff Meeting – It’s True: TED Talks Are Stupid Bags Of Misreasoning & Faux Science


TED videos should be banned. Forever.

Don’t date poets. You’ll probably die.

The entry level training grounds that used to develop good writers are almost gone. And no, the internet is not a replacement.

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Thursday Morning Staff Meeting – You Could Learn A Lot From A Funeral


Has the Higgs Boson been found after all? And not due to faulty wiring this time?

What Mitt Romney doesn’t get about the economy – if it’s only about money, our souls get lost.

Poetry captures the rhythm of Los Angeles.

We could learn from Pericles.

American children could stand to be taught poetry at young age, too.