The Guardian: “Film companies in Hollywood are employing a brain scientist at California Institute of Technology to measure reactions to films so they can tailor them more closely to our unconscious needs. Steven Quartz, a lab director at CalTech is pioneering the use of ‘neuromarketing’, using brain scanning technology to do market research. ‘We wanted to look at how the brain processes emotions and, since movies induce emotions so powerfully, they were an effective way of doing that,” says Quartz. “Out of that grew the awareness that it would be a good way of seeing how people respond to movies.'” (via Ryan)

Mark offers a report from BookExpo. Mark reports that he and Ron should be on C-SPAN tomorrow. According to the BookTV schedule, the Book Babes panel will air 4:30 PM-5:30 PM ET, 3:30 PM-4:30 PM CT on Saturday, June 5.

In the next forty-eight hours, I’ll be (a) taking a short breather and (b) manacled to the computer finishing the latest draft of Wrestling an Alligator. What this means is no blogging and no sex during a sizable portion of this time. Let it be noted in the great annals of history that I focused and did my duty, sacrificing great joys for questionable art.

I also have a tremendous email backlog to respond to. And if I haven’t responded to you yet, I plan on doing so sometime before Sunday. Needless to say, you folks are sweet, endearing, and I’m continually amazed by your effusive outpourings. Even that crazed Caitlin Flanagan from Wichita who wanted to cut one of my fingers off had nothing less than love and the best interests in his heart. I will get back to you all eventually.