carolyn kellogg

I’ve just learned that Pitt’s graduation speaker, football player Dan Marino, closed his speech with something like, “in the wise words of Ace Ventura, Pet Detective: Let’s party!” How ever…

Mark Sarvas, who is a litblog friend, has published his first novel (Harry, Revised); it was reviewed in Sunday’s New York Times. Gawker characterized the review as “extraordinarily mean-spirited,” and…

The author of the wonderful The Light of Falling Stars and more blogs on writing: My writing is for me, but it is about you. Or maybe it’s about me,…

In Salon, Rebecca Traister writes of Clinton fans growing weary of “Obama boys” bashing their candidate. I teach freshman composition, and I promise you, the “Obama boys” in my class…

Racial politics in Pittsburgh, from the MFA perspective. It’s like it’s the 70s. Or the 50s. Or maybe even the 30s. Jane Smiley on Jennifer Weiner’ Certain Girls. She condescends…

Maud’s giving away Barthelme! With delicious Pynchon intro, even. I’m not the only one who had a visit from Maryann Burk Carver. At the NEA’s Big Read blog, David Kipen…

Literary agent Colleen Lindsay has posted info on how to submit writing to her. She’s read 96 queries in 48 hours. Some of the worst query letters I’m seeing are,…

Toward the end of his interview with Neil Patrick Harris last night, Conan O’Brien bemoaned interruptions of applause, which were slowing down the witty banter on stage. He imagined someone…

Leonard Lopate had George Saunders, Vendela Vida and Zadie Smith on his radio show this week, and luckily WNYC has put it online. Smith has edited a new anthology —…

The National Book Critics Circle has announced its awards finalists. The most entertaining read is Lizze Skurnick’s liveblogging. Most interesting/unsurprising news of the nominees? Joyce Carol Oates is up for…