Harvey Pekar and his weird autobiographical comics hit the Internet with The Pekar Project.

Dan Baum presents the latest installment of “when authors attack”, detailing Rebecca Solnit’s displeasure at his recent review of her work.

Alan Bissett, writing for the Guardian Books Blog, makes a compelling case for a “new era of sexual modesty” in literature.

Opponents of the Google Book deal are “circling the wagons”.

Richard Lea cringes at the growing trend of writers being marketed based on appearance.

Just how green is the Kindle?

Alison Flood remembers Dominick Dunne.

R.I.P. Sergei Mikhalkov, author and poet.

R.I.P. Elie Greenwich, songwriter.

Today in Literature: On this day in 1841, James Fenimore Cooper’s The Deerslayer was published.

“Nothing clears up a case so much as stating it to another person.”

-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

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Dominick Dunne: 1925-2009 (Vanity Fair)
Dominick Dunne Dies (NYT)
Dominick Dunne dead at age 83 (LAT)
Crime story author Dominick Dunne, 83, dies in NYC (AP)
Writer Dominick Dunne has died at 83 (USA Today)
Dominick Dunne: Excerpts from his work (LAT)

Enjoy Greek cooking?  Now there’s a veritable bible for it with Vefa Alexiadou’s VEFA’S KITCHEN.

Federico Moramarco wallows like it’s 2008, but how can he help it when reviewing THE BATTLE FOR AMERICA: THE STORY OF AN EXTRAORDINARY ELECTION, by Dan Balz.

Larry Tye’s SATCHEL - THE LIFE AND TIMES OF AN AMERICAN LEGEND is well received at BeyondTheBoxScore.com and there’s even a quick author interview at the end.

In THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE, author Josephine Hart channels her Irish heritage and English grounding to pull no punches.

From the NCArts description:

Authors appearing at the 2009 North Carolina Literary Festival in Chapel Hill share their thoughts on the value of literary festivals:

Ted Kennedy’s memoir, True Compass to be published a month early.

Ian Hacking takes the 2009 Holberg International Memorial Prize.

Coffee table book publisher Mark Batty explains why he’s not afraid of the Kindle.

The Washington Post explores Sony’s new “literary Twitter clone”, Words Move Me.

Michael Schaub celebrates Salman Rushdie’s “joyous rock novel”.

Alison Flood takes exception with former children’s laureate Anne Fine’s contention that realism has gone too far in children’s literature.

The Observer examines the future of dust jackets.

GalleyCat’s Ron Hogan tries to sort out the blurring of the line between “urban fantasy” and “paranormal romance”.

Lajos Jánossy profiles Hungarian novelist and essayist George Konrád.

R.I.P. William Emerson, magazine writer and editor.

Today in Literature: On this day in 1875, John Buchan—father of the “shocker” spy novel—was born.

“I write at eighty-five for the same reasons that impelled me to write at forty-five; I was born with a passionate desire to communicate, to organize experience, to tell tales that dramatize the adventures which readers might have had. I have been that ancient man who sat by the campfire at night and regaled the hunters with imaginative recitations about their prowess. The job of an apple tree is to bear apples. The job of a storyteller is to tell stories, and I have concentrated on that obligation.”

-James Michener

Diana Gabaldon, in the The Washington Post, makes a convincing argument for buying Philippa Gregory’s latest, an historical novel, THE WHITE QUEEN.

Got a difficult dog?  Randy Grim holds your hand in DON’T DUMP THE DOG: OUTRAGEOUS STORIES AND SIMPLE SOLUTIONS TO YOUR WORST DOG BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS.

From the perhaps unlikely inspirational platform of NASCAR’s pit row, Rick Lemons parrallels the Christian journey with stock car racing in THE RACE: FROM PIT ROW TO VICTORY LANE.

Alma mater nostalgia ramps up with the college football season and Gator’s alumni and fans will no doubt appreciate this coffee table volume - HISTORIC PHOTOS OF UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FOOTBALL, edited by Dr. Kevin McCarthy.

From the Barnes and Noble “Tagged” series. Their description:

Molly welcomes medical thriller master Robin Cook to the Studio to talk about his latest book, Intervention.

Relatives of Federico Garcia Lorca clear the way for his remains to be exhumed.

Things you can’t make up: Author who describes herself as “the queen of redneck noir” gets in a fight with her father and shoots him in the ass.

M.A. Orthofer chronicles Sebastian Faulks’ acrobatic spin-control over his comments about the Koran and, more specifically, the prophet Mohammed. The fun continues here.

Publishers Weekly profiles Christopher Hertz, who walks the streets of Manhattan selling his self-published novel, The Last Block in Harlem.

Mark Athitakis examines American writers’ attitudes towards the working class.

Chavez policies “choking off the flow of imported books” in Venezuela.

Sarah Munshower Tuesday takes a look at the ‘Top 10 books about the Berlin Wall’.

FiveChapters is presenting a new story every day through September 7th.

GalleyCat tries to solve the mystery of Oprah’s cryptic tweet about her new book pick.

Today in Literature: On this day in 1949, Martin Amis was born.

“No tale tells all.”

-Alexei Panshin

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The Atlantic offers up a whole page of reviews, yours just for the clicking.

The Economist blends its opions of Timothy Garton’s, FACTS ARE SUBVERSIVE: POLITICAL WRITING FROM A DECADE WITHOUT A NAME and John Gray’s, GRAY’S ANATOMY: SELECTED WRITINGS, into one article.

USA Today heralds back-to-school with a quartet of titles.

STRENGTH IN WHAT REMAINS, by Tracy Kidder, moved Charles Shields over at The CHristian Science Monitor.

From the YouTube description:

A clip from Ernie’s second season interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough, author of “John Adams”, “1776″ and “Truman.” For complete episodes of InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse, visit www.houstonpbs.org.

Andrew Johnson, Gemma Mcintosh and Russell Arkinstall team up for the Independent to get reactions to Martin Amis and his work as the controversial author turns 60.

Alain de Botton recaps his first week as Heathrow’s writer-in-residence.

Which writer do you drink like? Take the quiz (answers tomorrow).

Oscar-winning screenwriter Roger Avary (”Pulp Fiction”, “Beowulf”) pleads guilty to vehicular manslaughter charges.

Free eBooks make useful loss leaders.

Carol Thomas surveys the short fiction of Nora Roberts.

The ‘Not the Booker’ shortlist has been announced.

Carol Rumens’ latest selection for the Poem of the Week (with commentary and text): “The Old Ships” by James Elroy Flecker.

R.I.P. Elmer Kelton, Western author.

Today in Literature: On this day in 1899, Jorge Luis Borges was born.

“Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.”

-E.L. Doctorow

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Think you know intense?  Think you know forward-thinking, conservationism?  You don’t know Ted.  But you will if you read Douglas Brinkley’s THE WILDERNESS WARRIOR: THEODORE ROOSEVELT AND THE CRUSADE FOR AMERICA.

Back in 1990, The Christian Science Monitor lauded POSSESSION, by A.S. Byatt.  They loved it enough to revive that review for those who might have missed it.

Joyce Maynard gets credit for getting away with an outrageous premise in her latest novel, LABOR DAY.

Terry Mort makes a fascinating tale of Papa Hemingway’s hobby of U-boat chasing in THE HEMINGWAY PATROLS.

After reading the Agatha Christie article linked this morning, I was reminded of Monty Python’s hilarious homage, so I thought I’d post it for some lighter Afternoon Viewing:

The National Post’s Brad Frenette chats it up with Sean Hemingway about the restored edition of his grandfather’s memoir, A Moveable Feast.

The New York Times’ Alexander Star remembers literary scholar Richard Poirier. Check out some excerpts of his critical work here.

Brian Dillon “examines the relationship between creativity, illness and the imagination” in his essay “Malignant Sadness”.

Amazon playing hardball with publishers on delivery requirements.

Philip Marchand “bemoans the lost art of creating vivid characters“.

Laura Thompson says the publication of Agatha Christie’s notebooks will do little to solve the mystery of her private life.

The Guardian presents audio of Aleksandar Hemon reading his short story “Everything”.

Sophie Heawood says the future of books isn’t as bleak as some might think.

James Campbell interviews Roger McGough in the latest installment of the “A life in…” series.

R.I.P. Karla Kuskin, children’s book author.

Today in Literature: On this day in 1305, Scotland’s William Wallace was executed and would be immortalized nearly two centuries later by Blind Harry the Minstrel in The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace.

“If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.”

-Woody Allen

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The New York Times calls David Farley’s AN IRREVERENT CURIOSITY too smirky.  Well, it is about the the baby Jesus’ dissected foreskin.  I really wish I were kidding.

It’s been a rough week for new novels in review.  The Washington Post is ho-hum at best over Robert Ward’s new thriller, TOTAL IMMUNITY.

Maybe middlin’ is just the mood of the month, but here’s Fangoria’s review of CREEPY ARCHIVES VOL. 4.

Post Katrina fiction, Batman, and some guy named George Sprott get their stories examined by Newsday.