“He was a sassy youngster…[A]s to burning the epistle up or not—it never occurred to me to do anything at all: what the hell did I care whether he was pertinent or impertinent? he was fresh, breezy, Irish: that was the price paid for admission—and enough: he was welcome!” Turns out Walt Whitman and Bram Stoker were pen pals.
“He was a sassy youngster”
Interview with Don DeLillo
Robert McCrum at Guardian scores a rare interview with Don DeLillo on his most recent novel, Point Omega, and the process of exploring America through fiction.
Born Weird
Meet the man who calls his own fans "scum," R. Crumb. Crumb first rose to prominence after the 1968 debut of Zap Comix, the first of the majorly successful "underground comix" publications. His work with legendary poet Charles Bukowski is worth taking a look.
New York: It Isn’t All That
Roxane Gay rounded up some of her favorite writers from “Outside of New York City.” (And she's not talking about Brooklyn.)
Speed Reading
Is your to-be-read list a little daunting? Check out some tips from BBC on how to read faster. If you’re looking for reading suggestions, check out our fiction and non-fiction previews.
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More Baffler
We recently noted the return of The Baffler. Robert Birnbaum recently interviewed the magazine's new publisher John H. Summers.
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Dispatch from Kolkata
Over at Electric Literature, Megha Majumdar writes about the changing architecture in Kolkata, the quest for authenticity, and nostalgia. Pair with Olena Jennings’s Millions essay on nostalgia for a life never lived.
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Hang Out with The Rumpus, Ctd.
Looking to fill your schedule at this year’s AWP? The Rumpus is hosting an offsite event -- featuring readings by Katie Crouch, Monica Drake, Gina Frangello and Wesley Stace -- on Thursday night at 8:30.