Hamlet: The Facebook feed edition.
Every book mentioned on Mad Men so far.
Betting odds for the 2010 Nobel Prize for Literature (our boy Cormac McCarthy is at 8 to 1; Bob Dylan is at 150 to 1).
Folks are gettin’ hot and bothered about MFA programs.
Linking to this post that is tangentially about Jean-Christophe Valtat’s awesome new book Aurorarama gives us an excuse to publish this weird pic of Edgar Allan Poe at a séance–
An inventory of opening sentences.
Vintage Portuguese book covers at A Journey Round My Skull.
Biblioklept 
Oh man, I am so tired of hearing about the MFA debate. People will never agree on it. But people don’t have to agree on if an MFA is worth it or if it’s a “real” degree.
When it comes down to it, people need to make the right decision for them: for some people it’s the MFA, for others it’s an MA in Creative Writing, or an MA in English and Creative Writing, or an MA in (something) and Creative Writing, or an interdisciplinary degree, or work experience, or just writing more, or something completely different. It’s a personal choice. That’s it and that’s all.
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Regarding the Nobel Prize odds – looks like Dylan is 100/1, not 150/1. A minor detail, granted.
The list also misspells the Nicaraguan poet Ernesto Cardenal’s name. The list-maker, like Allen Ginsberg (who also couldn’t spell the man’s name), cites “Cardinal” but it’s actually Cardenal.
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The odds change–Dylan was at the bottom yesterday. As of 11:43 EST, Cormac McCarthy’s odds have improved to 3:1.
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I’d like to see someone like Vargas Llosa win. Ngugi would be a symbolic win for Africa if Coetze is the only former winner from the continent. They might pick Murakami just because his novels have become so popular in recent times. Who was the last Japanese to win, Oe?
To tell you the truth, I’d rather gamble my money away on baseball or college football.
A better bet would be on the odds of McCarthy actually showing up to the ceremony.
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Well, look at you Noquar–should’ve bet on your wish.
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I’ve only read War at the End of the World, a really fine example of a huge (in time and scope), well written novel.
Somewhere I have a copy of Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter. Guess I should find it now.
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