Roundup – Reluctant Habits

The AV Club talks with Donald E. Westlake.
John Freeman almost certainly looks like Nick Lachey.
Sean Lennon: “That’s a really stupid question, dude.”
Henry Kisor, who thankfully has a sense of humor (unlike Jerome Weeks), on fixings.
Matt Cheney’s Rules for Writing.
NBA reports from Sarah and Ron (Lethem and Sorrentino are truly BFF in the photo for the second link).
Did Dana Gioia save the NEA? (via Silliman)
For the Republicans, Trent Lott is like the kid you reluctantly invite back to the party after he’s raised a stink.
If you’re not listening to them already, Justin Bauer explains why the Hold Steady deserve your attention. (via Largehearted Boy)
Infinite Jest turns ten and Dave Eggers weighs in.
Sean Cooper believes that HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are DOA. Me? I’m waiting for this rerun of the VHS vs. Betamax war to play out. I’m also waiting for HDTVs to be affordable. I’m also waiting for the television that I’ve owned for eight years or so (which I rarely turn on) on to crap out. Oh, hell, who needs these toys when you’ve got books?
The Stranger reviews Lost Girls.
On the free books debate, Book World evokes Dr. Johnson.
Sara Nelson has jumped the Monday gun to remark upon the OJ mess.
Methinks Bookninja doth protest too much. George, these are great titles! I publicly call for a Canadian-American literary exchange by post, in an effort to further tranquility between our two nations.
Callie promises another epic series of posts on Heidi Julavits.
It’s good to see my fellow San Francisco Fringe 2004 participant Baba Brinkman getting some good press for The Rap Canterbury Tales.
E.L. Doctorow: “I do no research beforehand. I start writing and find what I need as I go along. You will find very few inaccuracies, if any, in my account of Sherman’s campaign. I always hew to the truth, though in some matters my truth may not be yours because a novel is, among other things, an aesthetic system of opinions.”
The California Literary Review talks with Richard Ford. Still no sign of Tod Goldberg’s conversation, in audio or textual form.
Mark Winegardner begs his readers not to pigeonhole him. Dude, you’re the one who picked up the check to write these Godfather books. Not once, but multiple times.
HST’s ashes blown into the air. (via Rake)