Lit Bits & A Bit About BEA

• My weekly author event list is up at LAist.
• I'm fascinated by the thought of Orhan Pamuk's new novel with pictures.  I'm equally fascinated by the fact that he wanted to become a painter.
• An intense interview with prize-winning poet Gary Snyder about our social responsibilities.
• I'm quite sure I'm late to the dance on this one, but at the Guardian book blog, several outstanding writers are taking part in an online relay story as part of Hay Festival celebrations.  Ever since dipping a toe in the Kirn waters of writing a book online first, I'm ever-more curious about fiction that is created in this medium.
• John Baker has been providing some lovely (and funny, and insightful and...just go read them!) coverage of the Hay festivities.
• Pessl Politics: Now is not the time to play nice. Take the gloves off and jump in people. We've spoken of this. You knew what was expected of you. Make it happen.
• Here's the thing about BEA: I hate that I'm not there because I somehow feel as if I'm missing all the fun. All the parties. All the stories that will be told and told and told. To put it plainly: BEA=a lot of good blog posts. Which I won't be able to provide. Which is irritating. So, I can either hang up my hat this week (what's left of it) and defer to the folks who are there partying without us (and not missing us one bit, mind you) or I can try and top BEA coverage with specatcular posts throughout the remaining days of the week.  Yay? Nay? Hay?