tuesday hangovers

Garter snakes really can be scary. No, really, especially when they're in your jungle-like back yard.

Also, my morning was better than yours because I got to start off by reading a new Christopher Rowe story that was sitting in my inbox. It's damn good, too.

Lots of linksies, so let's get to it.

The Happy Booker notes the Google Graphic Holiday Alert phenomenon, saying: Did anyone notice the a little something different about the Google today? Trust the Happy Booker, who has missed more than a few holidays of national import by not paying closer attention to Google drawings— World Book Dayor International Women’s Day ring a bell?—when the drawing changes, something big is up. She also wants you to hug your librarian. Can both of us be wrong? ... Didn't think so. Go. Hug. Your. Librarian.

Christopher Marlowe's author portrait deconstructed: Why is it we've never seen Marlowe and Johnny Depp in the same room at the same time? A little fishy. Would you stab this man in a barfight? Look at him: he's a fucking kitten. Lots more where that came from. Thanks to Alan, who just finished a really long poem.

Collected Miscellany interviews Nick Arvin. For me, in this case, at a certain point in the process it became apparent that the material I hoped to explore could not be contained in a short story's length. The approach does change when you know you're trying to writing something that will be longer than a short story. A good short story will often contain no more than one or two scenes, whereas in a longer work, each scene has to be cast such that it opens into the next, and there's somewhat more freedom to explore descriptions of setting or emotion or whatever catches your fancy.

The Things That Death Can Buy shall henceforth be known as Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits -- or Laila's very interesting account of how the name of her forthcoming story collection changed. (For the record, I think both are fine titles.)

Babies are Fireproof has the linksy goods on Sam Chang winning Iowa Idol. Would have been more exciting if Ben Marcus had won, even if he's not from Appleton.

Mark Sarvas reveals that J.M. Coetzee is a cyclist (and an "accomplished" one at that, according to the lively imaginings of the Austin freshman at that link), and throws down the hill repeat gauntlet.

Jonathan Strahan talks about YA and why he's excited by it right now.

Tod Goldberg's writing class rules. I like this one best, but only because Tuesdays make me feel slightly mean: 5. The term, "But that's how it really happened." A few quarters ago, someone said this during week three and I responded, as I'm want to do, "I don't give a fuck about how it really happened, this is fiction." The student subsequently began to cry, which is never good, because, well, I never want people to cry because that just sucks, and then I had to stop the class an explain exactly why I don't give a fuck, which made the person cry even more. So here's the deal: if you want to write what really happened, write nonfiction.

And last, but certainly not least, more coverage of the Litblog Co-op by Scott McLemee at Inside Higher Education. He interviews Dan Green of the most excellent blog, The Reading Experience.

(Yes, you can send me books. The address is over in the righthand column.)