One of the most euphonious titles of the season has to be Kevin Sessums' Mississippi Sissy. It's a memoir of growing up "different" in the South. As an example of the book's wide appeal (and as a glimpse of its subject matter), I offer this tidbit: Andrew Sullivan has posted this quote from Michael Cunningham: … Continue reading Say It Soft and It’s Almost Like Praying

KCRW's estimable program Bookworm has just posted part one of a two-part interview with Norman Mailer. You can also read an excerpt of his latest novel The Castle in the Forest, which tells of the fictionalized childhood of Adolph Hitler.

Diabetics beware. In an article published today, the New York Times tells the story of the late Dewey, a cat found in the book drop of the Spencer, Iowa, library. There he grew up and "lifted the spirits of residents hit hard by the 1980s farming crisis." Some cat, to steal a phrase from Mr … Continue reading Have Your People Call My Veterinarian