I've got to check in with Marc about that. Sheesh. As if Oxford American hasn't already had enough drama for any ten magazines.

A request from my writer's group:

A friend of mine, Kate Bernheimer, runs a small press, Fairy Tale Review Press, out of the U of Alabama that is reprinting Joy Williams's great and underappreciated classic novel from 30 years ago, The Changeling. She has almost no budget for marketing or anything publicity-wise, but is passionate about the book and secured a lovely foreword from Rick Moody. Is anyone out there a fan of Joy's? Does anyone have any advice, counsel, pointers, connections that would help us take this book to a large audience? Immensely grateful for anything you have to offer...

I have no advice, but I'm glad to see that the U of AL's creative writing program is still so robust.

I don't know if writing the literary blogs would help, like Maud Newton, book slut, and Book Ninja. (I can't think of any other off the top of my head.) And there's also communities like Readerville. But I'm sure they've thought of those venues.

Also, press releases to Booksense, and perhaps to the independent booksellers around the US. A directory is on their website: bookweb.org. Usually there's a buyer or marketing person to contact, and if there are ARCs to send, that helps too.

If there are no ARCs, the press release could be accompanied by a personal letter to all the booksellers/buyers/marketing people, explaining the history of the book, and why this is special, and maybe some kind of hook to help sell it. Like, "people who loved... will love this book!" Something that gives the person who is going to sell it a personal connection to it, and a reason to give it space in their store.

Sorry, former marketing person for an independent here. I will not babble on too much!

New Glarkware: Dewey the Decimal

I ended up staying home Tuesday because of a sick day due to a suspected missed dosage of medicine. All my own damned fault, but inexorable nonetheless.

What book's up on my list to be read once I'm actually well enough to be reading? Libba Bray's Rebel Angels. Not exactly the right book to read after a day spent experiencing the pain brought on by a missed dose of morphine. Still, strong narrative, and even though I really want to slap all the girls for ignoring EVERY SINGLE CLUE, a compelling story.

I don't suppose the library system will be handing me the third for a while now.

I just finished The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (I think that's it), by Junot Diaz, and I definitely recommend it, but only if you speak at least some spanish and at least some geek. There's a lot of each, and you can kind of slide by assuming what he means by things, but it goes a lot easier if you actually know what he's talking about.

It's a book nominally about this one guy, but really about the last 50 years of history of the Domincan Republic (a LOT about Trujillo) and the Dominican diaspora.

Random book note, especially of interest to erika the Alexie lover and to Kate P and beth and any other YA librarians (though you probably already know all about this and I'm just horribly late): At my mom's recommendation (really, more her near-tearful urging), I just read Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (with cartoons by Ellen Forney), and it utterly fucking rocked the house. Full of gorgeous comic-painful details and so endlessly quotable that I can't even really talk about any specifics without spoiling something, so all I'll say is: fucking rocked the house.

JZ, I just read that too! Isn't it brilliant?

Utterly so.

Weirdest conversation with my mother as a result of that book:

Mom: It taught me so much about what it means for a boy to become a man in our culture. I was sobbing by the end.

Me: Wow. I really need to read it.

Mom: And I learned some slang, too! I never knew before that boys call their erections "boners."

Me: ......

Mom: I thought I knew what they meant from the context, but I had to look it up to make sure.

Me: ::hurls self from moving car::