Issue #6 prints tonight, featuring Ian Frazier as Mr. Doesn't-Know-Anything, Farahn Morgan with coal-town gamblers, Walter Kirn in Orderville, sṫǔttsiiso’ōḱǎasim on choosing beauty, Heather E Heying's wild puppies, Ted Mann in Dreamland, David Samuels riding the dog to Memphis, Chandler Fritz…

Love it when a writer drops a great piece and then disappears again.

I still think about this performance--one of the craziest things I've ever seen. Elite hitters couldn't even see the ball and looked clueless at the plate. This is why you watch sports--to catch a glimpse of magical greatness.

If you're a writer who's not in NYC, there's no point being mad about what goes on there. Those personal beefs have nothing to do with you. It's smarter to focus on building your brand as an outsider. There's mystery there. Be smart, kids. Play the game.

If I was a publicist, I'd place a profile for my author in a magazine and then commission a couple of big twitter accounts to 'trash' it. And then sit back and watch the swarm create free buzz.

Sometimes I’ll read a book/film review that’s humming along nicely and then all of a sudden it becomes a political diatribe. The writer enters “political” mode and then the review falls apart. It feels totally unnatural—it’s almost as if a different writer took over.

Excellent idea. USA.

The short stories of Carver, Larry Brown, Richard Ford. Just sad drunks trying to make some magic. No grand theories or politics. Only beautiful American desolation. You can't go wrong.

I wanted to leave Miami when I was younger because it didn't have much mainstream American 'culture.' Now it's the main reason I'll never leave. The place is immune to cultural happenings--a truly disconnected populace.

It's always refreshing to read a writer who's not part of the 'culture' or a scene. Just someone writing about their interests and not responding to anyone or anything. It's quaint and nice.

It's so obvious when a writer is pulling his punches. Lots of books are branded as edgy when it's really just a writer throwing acceptable jabs and then people pretending they've been hit with a haymaker. Publishing really is like pro wrestling--everybody's in on it.