A bunch of year’s end reading reflections by people like Phillip Lopate, Rick Moody, Stephen Elliott, William Gass, Nick Flynn, Jesse Ball, etc., at The Millions.

Technically devastating (as in perfect), “The Dead” by James Joyce is the Greatest Holiday Text Of All Time. Your choice?

Anyone mess with LaLa.com? Seems incredible: buy a song for 10¢ and you can listen to it online, from anywhere. 89¢ total and you can have an mp3 too. Hmm. Any experiences?

The Tyrant has taken over some Vice. Hold on to your face.

We’re giving away copies of One Hour of Television (Kristina Born), We Take Me Apart (Molly Gaudry) and Inconceivable Wilson (JA Tyler). If you want in on the goodness, go here.

Dennis Cooper posted today about his current theater project, which sounds and looks just too ridiculously cool for words: [Basics: ‘This Is How You Will Disappear’ (2010). Director: Gisele Vienne. Texts & Dramaturgy: Dennis Cooper. Score: Stephen O’Malley (w/ Jim O’Rourke, Merzbow, Boris, Peter Rehberg). Lighting Design: Patrick Riou. Fog Effects: Fujiko Nakaya. Holographic Effects: Shiro Takatani. Performers: Jonathan Capdevielle, Jonathan Schatz, Margrét Sara Gudjónsdóttir.] Also, if you are in NYC, his ‘Jerk’ will be at the Under the Radar festival from January 7-17, tix available here. I’m aiming to make a special trip.

Everyone, please help us welcome our last 3 new lovely contributors: Sean Lovelace (author of How Some People Like Their Eggs), Matt Bell (editor of The Collagist and author of, among many things, the forthcoming How They Were Found), and Lily Hoang (author of Changing, Parabola, and about 50 others). We’re busting up!

there’s a good interview with scott mcclanahan at WORD RIOT.  scott has another book coming out from six gallery press, called STORIES 2.  i am getting a review copy soon and will interview/review.  here is a line from the interview at WORD RIOT:

(in reference to his home, west virginia)–“This is a place where arm-wrestling still has some kind of cultural importance.”

A book review is not a bargaining chip.

Of course ‘Best Of Year’ or ‘Top Ten’ lists are stupid: does that mean they have no value? Do you yell at Polaroids?