castration- good enough for shiva, good enough for me.
a lot of people misunderstand me, in that they think i’m without mercy- my definition of mercy: a beautiful woman with a knife to my neck only a flick away from an 8 pint facial.
i know i’m beginning to sound like a madman wandering up and down the […]

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One third of the way thru the Ruskey power couple’s new War and Peace translation. Hope to finish by Christmas. I’ll render my judgment then. Watch this page. Take it to bed.

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Russel Banks comes too soft, though I believe they adapted Affliction from one of his novels. Affliction destroyed everything in its path. If Banks didn’t write the novel, he should buy me a drink for telling such a white, winning lie.

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Read Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda at some point. Learn all about love, and high-maintenance spouses.

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Jane Kenyon could party–lots of wine in the back yard, minimal slurring from the guests. It doesn’t get any better.

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Will Gen-Y lit. stars ever take up tennis? I sincerely hope not.

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Memo to spammers: do I have the word idiot written on my forehead? When you write, “good site” in the comments section, do you expect me to click on your penis enlargement link? In other news, Austen would edit the PTA newsletter and lampoon the board. She’d do it subtly.

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From the Friendly Turf File: Ginsberg would appear on Hardball. Joyce Cary would appear on O’Reilly. Twain would appear on a watch list.

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Rimbaud Partners, LLC would make millions. They’d pull tusks out of live elephants. They’d sing about it later.

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Wallace Stevens would make a fine university provost–he’s quiet. Bergman would make a fine university general counsel–he’s frightening.

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Will the Internet destroy the arts? Can anything destroy the arts, or do sensibilities continue changing in each income bracket? Maybe I should contact the media relations coordinator at the NEA for an authoritative response.

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What kept George Plimpton from writing at least one despairing novel to cement his legacy? To put it another way, why didn’t he hate himself like Vidal? They had similar backgrounds, so they should have the same thoughts. My professors taught me that.

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Wilde would vote libertarian, if for no other reason than to keep the gub’mint out of his bedroom.

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Would Dostoyevsky have off-track betting links on his blog in 2008? Probably. Would he confess to having them? Definitely. Would he take the links down after receiving absolution? Tell us what you think, and you could win a free Men of Letters disc, complete with Sharpie-drawn liner notes!

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We’ve heard “Paint it Black,” but have we heard “Take it Black”? I smell a spoof from Weird Al. It smells about as good as pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving morning. Or whiskey.

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