• So after a fusillade of April Fool’s posts and a threatening email sent by Martin Scorsese’s representative, I’m absolutely confident that you’ll be able to trust me with relaying legitimate news here on April 2. So here we go.
• The first issue of Hot Metal Bridge, a suitably naughty title that I approve of, edited by Carolyn Kellogg, has left the building. And you’ll find Michael Martone, Dan Chaon and Alan DeNiro within its pages.
• Could it be? An end to the Left Behind series? I mean, here I was hoping for more excuses to go to hell because, contrary to the Monkees (or, rather, Neil Diamond, who penned the song), I’m not a believer. Will some brave fundamentalist step in to fill Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye’s shoes and get to the bottom of America’s evil in fictive form?
• There’s trouble a-brewing in Salt Lake City. It seems that Mark Spragg’s An Unfinished Life was set to be the One Book, One City choice, only to be rescinded for reasons unknown. Was it censorship or a legitimate kerfuffle? The Salt Lake Tribune has learned that someone complained of “coarse language” spoken by a character in Spragg’s book. Here’s hoping that more “coarse language” will be employed to get to the bottom of this brouhaha.
• Is this Santa Cruz Sentinel story on literary escorts an April Fool’s joke or legitimate journalism reporting upon those great unappreciated escorts?
• The Washington Post‘s Judith S. Gillies has info on the forthcoming PBS American novel documentary.
• Ten famous literary bars: where everybody knows your pen name.
• Tom Cox investigates author websites. (via Jenny D)
• If libraries want to get folks reading, perhaps jugglers are the answer.
• Why the litblogosphere rocks: Kelly Link appeared on The Bat Segundo Show. In that podcast, there was a considerable discussion on whether or not “literary fiction” was as horrid a label as “science fiction.” Eric Rosenfield wasn’t satisfied with some of Link’s responses, but now he’s corresponded with Link directly to set the matter straight.
• If you thought fan fiction was bad, Jason Boog examines fan screenwriting (or is that fan filmmaking?).
• Today in Letters entices literary readers once again with this letter from Fitzgerald to Maxwell Perkins.
• Congratulations to Mr. Orthofer (and his mysterious staff) for eight years of the Complete Review.
• Who knew? Jeff VanderMeer is running for SFWA President with a dubious platform that has one examining the date the announcement was made.
• I believe I linked to this before, but dig Kerouac on The Steve Allen Show. (via Outsider Writers)
• If you don’t make it to the end of the book or you’re feeling dispassionate about a book, there are two reasons: it is the book’s fault or you’re not a book critic. (via Bookninja)
• A.M. Homes: “I think about reviews of the memoir: What’s a negative review of a memoir? ‘Not only is she a lousy writer, her life sucks.'”
• Editor & Publisher: “While newspaper circulation continues to slide, readership is growing, especially with younger readers — when taking online newspaper sites into consideration. According to the latest data from the Newspaper Association of America, newspaper Web sites contributed a 13.7% increase in total newspaper audience for adults 25-to-34.” Again, the newspapers aren’t dying. They’re changing. Younger readers aren’t going away.
• The Book Babes have decided to step away from their Good Housekeeping duties and enter the blogging world.
• Terry Teachout on the Joan Didion theatrical adaptation. Ouch.
• I’ll let the readers decide which death ceremony is more ridiculous: Hunter S. Thompson’s ashes blown from a cannon or James Doohan’s ashes released into space.
• More April Fool’s fun: Major League Baseball’s first Civil Rights Game.
• Michael Glover talks with poet Tony Harrison.
• Tanenhaus enlists Michael Crichton? Surely an April Fool’s joke.
• Speaking of which, it appears that there are astonishing developments at Wired.

© 2007, Edward Champion. All rights reserved.

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