I’ve discovered Starship Sofa, a fantastic podcast that has two Brits named Tony C. Smith and Ciaran O’Carroll chatting about science fiction authors. I’m not usually a fan of podcasts featuring two guys just sitting around shooting the shit, in large part because I’ve heard too many podcasts along these lines that blow. But these two guys are good, because they are well-read, and they have a good deal of unexpected trivia and interesting thoughts about authors.
Month / April 2007
Morning Drive-By
- Colleen has interesting thoughts on the problems of adult reviewers writing about YA books.
- Laura Miller on Jamestown.
- Dan Green offers a refreshingly level-headed assessment of the n+1/litbloggers dick wars.
- Roger Ebert offers an update on his condition.
- Religions collide: “An Italian film which features Jesus drinking from a can of Coca-Cola will miss its Easter release date after the drinks giant complained.”
- Some folks are worried about the Zell/Tribune deal.
- 100 years of the little magazine. (via Ron Silliman)
- “Drugs are in the water” now in a Gray Lady headline. Progress!
- Chris Abani interviewed at TEV.
Oh Come On, Don
A preposterous sentence from Don DeLillo:
He said, “Everybody’s giving me water.”
I mean, that’s something I’d expect Craig Finn to warble into a microphone. But the difference is that Finn could make it work.
Afternoon Snacks
- Oscar Villalon raises interesting questions about the lines between fiction and nonfiction.
- Annalee Newitz reviews Optic Nerve #11.
- Megan points to a vanity press scamming bookstores. There’s more info here. Avoid Author Identity Press at all costs.
- Why does the media consistently ignore the Midwest? (via Isak)
- The college prank as viral video.
- Eric Klinenberg has additional ideas about what’s killing newspapers. And it ain’t the Internet.
- David Yezzi on Kingsley Amis’s poetry.
- A lost interview with Douglas Adams.
- Bill Benzon compares the Gabler and Barrier Walt Disney bios.
- Cinetrix needs your help IDing a film.
- The Norwegians mock the Danish language. (via Language Hat)
- There’s some new software available that will allow you to see fellow humans as animals do.
- The Daylight Savings Time change had no impact on power consumption. Way to go, team!
Josh Wolf to Be Released
The San Francisco Chronicle‘s Bob Egelko reports that Josh Wolf has turned over the video footage to prosecutors. Because of this, he will be released from prison — after spending 7 1/2 months of his life in the hoosegow.
The deal struck by prosecutors involves Wolf not having to testify to the grand jury or identifying any of the protesters.
While I’m happy that Josh Wolf is out of prison, I’m not so happy that the California shield law designed to protect journalists was so flagrantly manipulated by moving the case to federal jurisdiction.
Josh Wolf has released the unedited video on his blog, noting, “During the course of this saga I have repeatedly offered to allow a judge to be the arbiter over whether or not my video material has any evidentiary value. Today, you the public have the opportunity to be the judge and I am confident you will see, as I do, that there is nothing of value in this unpublished footage.”
It’s also worth noting that Wolf has spent more time in prison for refusing a court order than any other journalist in United States history.