Pieces and Pontifications

• Norman Mailer has died.
• Listen to a whole mess of Mailer interviews from KCRW's Bookworm


• Two of Book-Loop's favorite entities meet once again: An adaptation of George Saunders' "Ask the Optimist" presented by The Sound of Young America.
• Also, listen to the new Sound of Young America interview with George Saunders.


• Andrew Sullivan's Atlantic cover story on "Why Obama matters"
• Hip-hop mogul Sean Carter visits Charlie Rose
• Twenty years ago today: Music's place in The Closing Of The American Mind
• Writers' strike update: Return of the assistants
• The Future of TV Hits MySpace Sunday
• Special delivery for Michael: The unlikely prototype of the literary salon
• Chappelle in London