My review of Haruki Murakmi’s After Dark can be found in this Sunday’s Los Angeles Times Book Review. Here’s the first paragraph:

The title of Haruki Murakami’s latest novel may connote the smoke-hewn, jazz-strewn flow of Hugh Hefner’s old television show. But the book’s post-midnight Tokyo is a lonely place where the trains have stopped running and the love hotels and the family restaurants are sanctuaries for the loners and the sad sacks stuck working graveyard.

I’m honored to be in there with Sven Birkets, who reviews the new DeLillo book, and Sarah Weinman, who reviews a Sara Paretsky volume.

I’m worried about Michael Orthofer. He hasn’t updated the Literary Saloon since Monday. He hasn’t returned emails. And the phone number I have for him is now disconnected.

If anyone knows if Michael’s okay (or if Michael himself might let us know), please leave a comment in this thread.

[UPDATE: Mark Sarvas tells me that he’s talked with Orthofer. He’s just been having computer problems. So no worries, folks!]

If I have been responding to your emails from a year and a half ago, please do not be afraid. I am quite well-adjusted and not sociopathic. This is merely a matter of having a small time window to respond properly to your various messages, and nothing more.

Jason Kottke: “Maybe kottke.org has been intentionally excluded because I’ve been so hard on them in the past. Or maybe it’s just a glitch (or two) in their system. Or maybe it’s an indication of larger problems with their service. Either way, as the company is attempting to offer an authentic picture of the blogosphere, this doesn’t seem like the type of rigor and accuracy that should send reputable media sources like the BBC, Washington Post, NY Times, and the Wall Street Journal scurrying to their door looking for reliable data about blogs.”

BBC: “Tony Blair has announced he will stand down as prime minister on 27 June.”