The best book you are not reading because it's been widely ignored is Matthew Specktor's That Summertime Sound. How does a book this intimate and honest and real get overlooked? It's depressing to think about. The book's about obsession and...

I briefly step on KT's toes to note that today marks an astonishing 29 years since John Lennon was murdered, a loss that's surprisingly raw all these years later. One day I'll write about my memories of my 16-year-old self...

Over a year ago, in a conversation with my editor, I confessed that I'd been struggling -- really struggling -- with the second novel. I speculated that this could have something to do with the publication of the first novel,...

In the fall of 1997 I had a lot of raking to do, but my friends dragged me up to the University of Chicago instead. Kurt Vonnegut was there, reading from his new book, Timequake. During an extended discussion with the moderator, the old man made a keen point about what challenges an audience’s sympathies [...]

This Saturday I gave a one-day seminar on Gordon Lish and the Lish school(s) of writing at The New School. A lot of what I spoke about I’ve written about on this site, and some of it may be posted in the future, when its written form is a bit more polished than lecture/discussion notes, [...]

Ben Chasny, Chris Corsano, and Richard Bishop live at the Sunset Tavern in Seattle (photo by Joe Mabel)

It was a rough year for the publishing industry, from the conglomerate publishers down to the indie bookstores. While preparing for a podcast interview with Beyond the Book, this GalleyCat editor compiled a temporary list of the worst moments in publishing in 2009.

A best moments in...

Floating World Comics is proud to offer original artwork by Al Columbia.��� Every week or so we plan on making a new piece available for sale.��� We’re down to the last dozen copies of the limited edition ‘TOYLAND’ giclee print.��� Be sure to order one before they’re all gone!��� Also we want to remind you [...]

“one for jack” jack rose was one of those guys with whom one feels an immediate bond he wasn’t a physical giant or anything but he had an immense presence something, perhaps, more spectral than tangible which filled a room easily enveloping you in a kind of bear hug that could seem either threatening or comforting depending on the look in jack’s eyes and on [...]