Archives for September 30, 2004

“There is a simple law governing the dramatization of novels: if it is worth doing, it can’t be done; if it can be done, it isn’t worth it. Trash can be just as trashy on the stage as in an armchair, but when an artist has conceived of something as a novel, let those who think they know a reason why his matter should not be married to his manner forever hold their peace.”

John Simon, Acid Test

I’ve been meaning to say something about Galley Cat, Nathalie Chicha’s new blog about the book business, which went live a week or two ago and was promptly installed on “About Last Night”‘s “Sites to See” list. Nathalie is, of course, the mastermind behind Cup of Chicha, long one of my daily stops in the ‘sphere. Now she’s relocated from Iowa to New York and launched this new for-profit blog, which I read no less faithfully–it’s a super-smart piece of work. For now Cup of Chicha is in a state of semi-suspended animation as Nathalie gets used to the daily deadlines at Galley Cat, but I have no doubt that she’ll soon be back to her usual sharp-tongued, quick-witted business at the same old stand. In the meantime, check out her new digs.

I’ve also been meaning to note with unsnarky sadness that The Minor Fall, the Major Lift, better known as Mr. TMFTML, has logged off for good. Why, I don’t know, though he claims (sort of) to have burned out. Whatever the real reason, his decision to stop blogging has severely diminished the gaiety of nations. For all his self-imposed anonymity, he was one of the blogosphere’s strongest and most distinctive personalities, and I can only hope that he decides in due course to re-emerge in the Old Media under his own name, there to wreak havoc on the slow-witted, make flattering accusations about innocent bystanders (we still get hits from that damn posting), and generally punch holes in the envelope of polite discourse.

Me, I miss him already. A lot.

As of ten minutes ago, I’m deadline-free. The last of my outstanding pieces is finished and e-mailed. I still have urgent pre-Chicago errands to run this afternoon, but I should be back in time to do a little blogging before heading off to the opera with Sarah. If not, I’ll post after I get home tonight.

Later.