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It is with great sadness that we report that author Cheryl Anne Porter passed away today, after battling cancer. We want to express our sorrow to her family while remembering that her legacy will live on thanks to the many lives she touched.

We can specifically remember the day we “got” short stories. It was high school, possibly our sophomore year. Now, this shouldn’t be a surprise — what else were we supposed to learn that year (sophomore year being the time of biology and a rather frustrating experience with something called geometry). Alas, we didn’t learn our […]

We are rushing through updates because the evil meeting gods have demanded tribute, and, frankly, we don’t have a thing to wear (but if we don’t post hourly, Jill worries, and we can’t have that, what with the fact she’s supposed to be writing and all). So rather than a carefully composed tribute (which normally […]

We usually don’t scratch our heads over articles from the Online Journalism Review, but, well, there’s a first time for everything. The usually tech-savvy Marc Glaser takes a look at “astroturfing” — where letters to the editor are professionally produced and mass mailed to publications. Okay, we admit it; we’re being unfair. Glaser has written […]

The husband convinced his high school English teacher to let him read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas for credit. Yes, the rest of the class was trying to comprehend King Lear; the husband was learning the terrors inherent in casino carpets. We believe this is where he developed his journalistic skills. Or maybe his […]

We once heard an editor say that the publishing industry moves deliberately toward trends. Maybe it’s because it takes a while to write a book, we don’t know, but suddenly you can’t turn around without running into books on sex. We’re sorry — we weren’t clear. There have always been books about sexual activity; now […]

To understand Hollywood, you must spend some time here. Not on the Walk of Fame, but in the offices of the motion picture studios. You can try the record industry, sure, but the perks are better in the movies. Pay is better, too. Hollywood is the epitome of two-faced society. You’ll never know how your […]

We admit it — we’re not hip. Yeah, it’s hard to say, but there you have it. We like to think it’s a side effect of our innate cynicism, but it’s probably just that we can’t be bothered. Back in the day, cool was effortless…today it requires constant maintenance. We can barely keep up with […]

In reading about an author losing his work when his laptop is stolen, we are naturally inclined to lecture long and loud on the importance of backups. But close study of the story also leads us to reflect upon the dangers of leaving your computer in the garden shed. Offering two pieces of advice will […]

We can’t recall when our love affair with Jane Austen novels began — though we promise it was long before Colin Firth became the face of Mr. Darcy in our imagination (not that we would ever complain). It pleases us beyond belief that Austen is finally being taken seriously as an author. Austen both redefined […]