No more Bat Segundo

I’m so incredibly bummed. The Bat Segundo Show, the best literary podcast out there, is ending. Ed Champion says he hasn’t gotten enough donations or funding to keep it going.

Can we actually petition some site to pay Ed for these incredible podcasts and keep it going? Like email Gawker or something? Doesn’t Nick Denton sweat money?

Ed is one of the most insightful reviewers/lit bloggers out there. So, so sad about this.

A Reluctant goodbye

Ed Champion announced today that he will cease blogging at the Return of the Reluctant so he can focus on writing stories and essay.

Sad, sad day. This is like when MobyLives went away. What’s a litster to do?

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In Word Riot news, the December issue is up and I gave the site a wider format. Enjoy.

The Quietness

I’ve been plopping a lot of friends-only posts into LiveJournal and Myspace lately, hence the relative dead silence here.

Also, I’ve started a new novel manuscript and have been dutifully writing after work every morning (I work an overnight shift). I’m really, really loving this new manuscript and it’s flowing and I’m happy and all is well. I mean, I’m just in the beginning of the beginning of the process, but I’m in a nice groove with it and the ideas are pop pop popping. I’m tentatively calling this thing ‘Fine Creature.’

Daniel Robert Epstein

According to Amanda Stern’s Happy Ending Reading Series Blog, Daniel Robert Epstein died last week.

He did these incredible interviews for SuicideGirls.com. He would get really fascinating people to open up in unexpected ways. Just about every interview by him was something priceless. Very, very sad.

Wikidisaster

I finally signed up for a Wikipedia account and have gone into Wiki-insanity. We’re talking Word Riot plugging everywhere (though I still have to make an actual “Word Riot” entry).

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I’m going into the city tonight to drink a toast to the paperback release of Ned Vizzini’s book It’s Kind of a Funny Story. Then, at the end of the week, Book Expo America starts. I’m going to grab all the free books I can get my grubby, sausage fingers on.

Poll, poll, everywhere a poll, poll

I wish Livejournal polls translated easily to regular html but I don’t think they do.

Anyway, I posted a poll here asking you guys to decided whether or not I should ask my agent to send all the blood-curdling details of editors’ responses to my manuscript.

Jumping on the bandwagon

Apparently WordPress has god-like powers. Let’s see how this baby rolls.