The October issue of Boldtype is up. This month’s theme is ‘Self-Made’ and star bloggers Maud Newton and Mark Sarvas guest edit. They even have a special blog! I am jealous.

My pal Red interviewed George Saunders and Paul Collins (separately of course) and posted the results. Seriously, they are fascintating reading and I wish I had half of Red’s conversational skills.

Robert Birnbaum sat down with James Howard Kunstler recently and spoke about, among other things, the end of the modern world, suburbia, Hubbert’s peak, and Napoleon III. It’s heady stuff.

Sorry for the boredom around here. It’s August, so for me that means my day job goes into high gear. I don’t get to leave early on Friday’s like those fancypants publishers. Gotta get ready for Fall!
Anyway, I was looking through yesterday’s deals at Publisher’s Lunch and saw this:

Lauren Baratz-Logsted’s VERTIGO, the story of a Victorian-era woman who begins an innocent correspondence with a prisoner, but soon finds herself trapped in an erotic web of intrigue and lust, to Danielle Perez at Bantam Dell, in a very nice deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, by Pamela Harty at The Knight Agency (world).

Congratulations Lauren! She’s also been featured on Dan Wickett’s flourishing blog with some excellent reviews.

For all you Vollmannites out there. I got the fresh, hot copy of the NYTBR in my hands and Vollman has a 2 page review in there. Alas, it’s not available online until this Sunday. But your man William T. Vollman reviews Frederick Nietzsche by Curis Cate. Whoo!

Wow, I’ve got a new crush.

Uncle Red speaks with Camille Paglia over at the Morning News. Topics discussed include her latest book, the Bible, Art, Kubla Khan, Thomas Frank, Capitalism, Robert Lowell…well, the list goes on. Read the interview.

Uncle Red takes on Sarah Vowell over at Identity Theory. “I never wanted to be a writer. When I was growing up I wasn’t one of those people who hid in their bedroom with a flashlight scribbling out stories. I came to writing by studying art history and writing essay exams. So I don’t know how to make stories up. I know how to lie. One reason I like writing nonfiction is [that] it’s all about the implausible.

Ok, so there’s no Master Blaster, but James Woods has responded to Dan Green’s criticism of his take on the new Cormac McCarthy. It’s all very civil and polite. Damn.

Robert Birnbaum (whom I had the pleasure of meeting in person, along with Rosie, at the Kevin Smokler event) has a lovely interview with Ian McEwan over at The Morning News. Check it out.