Recommended Reading: Enrique Vila-Matas on rock ‘n’ roll, anti-artists, and the central motor of his work.
Dead Ends
Matt Bell on Creative Competition
Andrew Ervin interviewed Matt Bell for Tin House. Bell’s forthcoming novel In the House Upon the Dirt Between the Lake and Woods will come out this summer. (Excerpt) It’s a book that was at least partially enhanced by Bell’s sense of “competition … of a useful kind” with his friend Robert Kloss. “I was so blown away [by Alligators of Abraham],” Bell admits, “that I can remember having to resist putting down his first novel to go make mine better.”
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Law and Order: Library Edition
“We don’t want to run a for-profit business, or even a break-even business that’s based on income. It’s something that would not return a great deal of money for us and would create an adversarial role.” The Huffington Post reports on the growing number of libraries dropping overdue fines. Pair with Daniel Penev on why public libraries have a more vital role to play in the culture than ever before.
Computer of Horrors
If you're on the East Coast and still have power, don't let Sandy ruin your Halloween - feast your eyes on these vintage horror paperback covers, instead. Stay safe!
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Thank Your Mother
Recommended (and timely!) reading: Christy Wampole on why "You Will Never Be Able to Thank Your Mother Enough."