• J.M. Coetzee on Norman Mailer: “If one takes seriously Mailer’s reading of world history as a war between good and evil in which human beings act as proxies for supernatural agents—that is to say, if one takes this reading at face value rather than as an extended and not very original metaphor for unresolved and irresoluble conflict within individual human psyches—then the principle that human beings are responsible for their actions is subverted, and with that the ambition of the novel to search out and speak the truth of our moral life.” (via Scott)
• I don’t really watch television, so perhaps one of you might tell me why I should care about Damien Leith and what makes this ponce such a fantastic novelist?
• Elif Shafak: genuine protection needed or Salman Rushdie schtick?
• RIP fanboy.
• Given the man’s inflexibility to any viewpoint outside of his own and his animosity towards anyone who even remotely disagrees with him*, I don’t think I’d ever want to interview Cory Doctorow. But Rick Kleffel has been brave enough to take the plunge, talking with Doctorow for his excellent podcast series.
• Ecclesiastical Proust Archive (via Mark Thwaite)
• Justine Larbaleister goes medieval on Maureen Dowd.
• Anna Nicole Smith: The Annotated Biography
• “Would you like to establish a new freelancing career?”

* — Conclusion based on personal emails between Champion and Doctorow, 2001-2006, although third parties assure me that Doctorow is “nice.”