Philosopher and flower hater Slavoj Žižek comes late to the “let’s discuss The Wire‘s greater cultural significance” party, but he does bring some excellent points with him. For the record, he doesn’t believe it’s the greatest TV series of all time. And the entire thing is worth hearing if only for an in-depth analysis of this [NSFW] scene.
Žižek’s Take on Baltimore
Nicholson Baker and Friendly’s
Nicholson Baker talks about why he does so much writing at Friendly’s, a fast food chain that soon may exist only in its descriptions.
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Luck Runs Out
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Impolitic
Is all literature political? Is this political? Are you political?
F-O-R-T-E
When spelling bees are so fun you think they might be your calling, it’s understandable that a serious loss might haunt you for quite some time.
Cetology
Classics Illustrated: Draftsman Matt Kish gives Moby-Dick the Zak Smith treatment.
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Has Odds, Will Bet
As previously reported, Haruki Murakami is favored to win the Nobel Prize in Literature seven-to-one. For more on the dubious practice of betting on literary awards, see this interview from last year with an employee of the London-based company responsible for calculating the odds.