The Downtown Journal interviews Klosterman about Downtown Owl and some of his answers give me a heartattack. For example: “you got to make sure it’s interesting, entertaining and clear. It has to be interesting in the sense that it should try to affect the way people view themselves or view the world. It should be entertaining so the experience itself is pleasurable. And you try to have as much clarity as possible. The time I invest in writing, most of the effort is toward making sentences clearer and simpler. . .” Oh yeah? Yeah? What’s so clear about five adverbs in one sentence? Are you kidding me?

Steve Marsh interviewed Klosterman for MSP Magazine.

Chuck Klosterman Reading
7:30 p.m., Thursday, October 2
Triple Rock Social Club
629 Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
Tickets $8 available at Magers & Quinn or the Triple Rock

The Strib reviews the book, and like Christa, finds it not too shabby. Yeah, I still hated it. Maybe I am in the minority here.

Girl Detective attended Neal Stephenson’s reading last week and has an interesting conversation with him about interesting conversations. I think he was complimenting her.

GalleyCat points us in the direction of a new imprint of the Northern Illinois State University Press. Switchgrass Books is dedicated to Midwestern writers and their novels. In the submission guidelines it states:
Switchgrass authors must be from the Midwest, current residents of the region, or have significant ties to it. Briefly tell us in your cover letter why yours is an authentic Midwestern voice.

Over at The Rake, Max Ross interviews Matt Weiland one of the authors behind State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America.

Did you miss the hubub about the Nobel Prize secretary saying American authors were too insular making them like a non-issue for the literature prize? If so, skip the hullaballoo and go read the short, succinct and smartass summary over at Bookslut.

GalleyCat answers the question How many copies does a literary novel have to sell to be a success?