The folks at the Capitol Book & News, in Montgomery, AL, have a lot of time on their hands, it seems. And they've also got a controversy on their hands..."At dispute: the phrase "national bestselling author," frequently seen in publishers' advertising blurbs. But is it correct, grammatically, or should it be "nationally bestselling author?" Frazer … Continue reading Grammar Nerds, Unite!

Thanks to some concerned citizen's Freedom of Information Act request (OK, it's really http://www.governmentattic.com), we can all see an inventory of the books, movies, and music aboard the International Space Station (.pdf; be warned, dialup users, it's a hefty 1.75 megabytes). The list is weighted towards science fiction. No surprise there. But someone who's been … Continue reading The Final Frontier

An article in the Guardian pointed me to this collection of literary tattoos.--David E