Publisher Nan A. Talese publicly blasted Oprah over the James Frey controversy this Saturday, at the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference of the Southwest:

"I'm afraid I'm unapologetic of the whole thing," she said. "And the only person who should be apologetic is Oprah Winfrey," who she says exhibited "fiercely bad manners — you don't stone someone in public, which is just what she did."

Calling Winfrey's behavior "mean and self-serving," Talese said that readers should be able to decide for themselves about whether to believe an author, and that Frey was clear about how believable he was.

"When someone starts out and says, 'I have been an alcoholic. I have lied, I have cheated' … you do not think this is going to be the New Testament."

"Fiercely bad manners" is polite publisher code for raving, career-destroying harpy bitch, in case you were wondering. Have fun trying to get another title in Oprah's Book Club, Nanners! You're so done. And you fucking rule.

The NY Times noticed the recent commercialization of Jane Austen on Sunday:

How did this early-19th-century novelist become the chick-lit, chick-flick queen for today? It is not only because she is an enduring writer. So is Melville, but bumper stickers and T-shirts read “What would Jane do?” not “What would Herman do?” A few other female writers have achieved pop culture celebrity: Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath for the drama of their suicides, the Brontës for the gothic romance of their novels and the contrast to their quiet lives. None inspire the warmth, fanaticism — or merchandising — that Austen does.

She has entered pop culture more thoroughly than other writers because she is almost spookily contemporary. Her ironic take on society is delivered in a reassuring, sisterly voice, as if she were part Jon Stewart, part Oprah Winfrey. Beneath the period details, the typical Austen heroine offers something for almost any woman to identify with: She is not afraid to be the smartest person in the room, yet after a series of misunderstandings gets the man of her dreams anyway. It doesn’t take a marketing genius to spot a potential movie audience for that have-it-all fantasy.

Becoming Jane, the heavily fictionalized biography of Austen's one-and-only romance (which, in real life, didn't work out) is out on Aug 10.

Every girl in the world is Elizabeth Bennet, but is Anne Hathaway Jane Austen? We think yes.

A decade ago, Eve Bridburg started Grub Street, Inc., Boston's independent writing center. Eight thousand students later, Grub celebrates it's 10th anniversary tonight on Boston Common, across the street from Grub headquarters at 160 Boylston Street. Festivities start at 4 pm and go, according to the web site, "late, baby, late." Beer, barbecue, readings from the spanking new and deliciously varied Grub anthology Hacks, and general word-related revelry to ensue. Happy Birthday, Grub.

Art Spiegelman's graphic novel Maus won the Pulitzer Prize back in 1992. I finished the first book in the two-part series about a month ago in preparation for a visit to Yad Vashem last week. Maus is shocking, tragic, funny, and brutally eye-opening. It's the most beautifully told, gripping account of the Holocaust I've ever read, and I've been reading about it all my life.

Just happened upon this Morning Edition piece about how MAD magazine influenced Spiegelman's comic book take on his father's personal survivor story.

Listen to it here, and read excerpts from Maus here.

Accoding to his Pantheon bio, Spiegelman is currently working on the libretto and the sets for a new opera about the history of comics entitled "Drawn to Death: A Three Panel Opera" with composer Phillip Johnston. Perhaps The Rejection Collection will figure into that somehow?

Below, a panel from Maus via Pantheon Graphic Novels:

Hold your applause! Apologies for the absence, lack of updates, etc. Word Up is still alive and well. We were away on a trek around the Holy Land (srsly) that has left us spiritually enlightened (not like Madonna, so stop judging), exhausted from hiking up and down really big mountains, blissful from days on end of gawking at really old, ancient, awesome stuff, and hysterically amazed at our ability to go nearly a fortnight without Books or Blogz as entertainment. Did you miss us?!!

We're playing the catch-up game right now, though Word Up should return to a more-or-less regular schedule of readings updates and linkage later this week. This is, of course, contingent on how soon we figure out whether L. Lo was CHASING her assistant's mom's car or BEING CHASED and carefully avoiding any HP spoilers because we're currently in the middle of Emma and sometimes you just don't want to mess with La Austen's flow. Plus, don't stone us for saying this, but at the moment we actually NEED a wee break from that Potter boy! Just a short one. Promise.

In conclusion, these girls are fucking cool. And our heroes.

Deathly Hallows front row at the Siren Festival (link via Stereogum)

Fourth of July came and went, but post-pyrotechnics, it’s worth remembering the people that lost their freedoms in the political fireworks. Ellee Dean reviews the first two books in the new, eight-volume Penguin Library of Native American History, and asks the question, what if casinos and reservations were our conciliatory prize?

Read the full review here.

If our posting schedule seems irregular in the next week or so, it's because we're really busy listening to "Save Ginny Weasley" on repeat and blushing over novel-length Harry Potter fan fiction that involves...naughtiness:

"Please stay."

Heavy breathing. Then a sigh. "Why would I stay, Potter? I'm sweaty, I'm filthy, and we have classes tomorrow."

"We could just... lie here for a while. I don't want to get up. I want..." ...to hold you.

"Well, you can do whatever you want. I'm going, though."

"No! Please, Mal... Draco, just stay here for a bit."

A sneer. "God, Potter, you sound pathetic." Something soft in his cool, grey eyes. "Fine, alright, I'm staying. But not the whole night."

Yowsa!