Words to Live By

Bob Sassone, who I have decided is Totally Punk Rock (tm) for publishing his first book, Book, With Words and Pages, all by himself, emailed to drop me a line about the online magazine he edits, Professor Barnhardt's Journal. New material every Tuesday, and contributors include folks like Roger Ebert, T.C. Boyle, and MST3K's Mike Nelson. Here's a New Year's resolution from last week's issue by novelist Tod Goldberg:

"Read more literary blogs instead of actually writing. Although it seems like I already spend a good portion of my day flipping across the Internet to see what’s posted on Mobylives, Bookslut, The Elegant Variation and Maud Newton et al, what I’ve found is that this activity spares me poor reviews, angry conversations with my editor and long ranting sessions with my literary agent, wife, Larry The UPS Guy and the kid who makes my mochas at Starbucks regarding the long line of Just-Turned-21-Publicists who hold my very existence in their hands and then, yeah, fumble it away like Tiki Barber. So fuck it. Writing is played out. Reading literary blogs is the New Establishment. Tonight, I begin the Great American Reading of Literary Blogs. And tomorrow? Ibid. "