The National Book Critics Circle blog, called "Critical Mass," is the place we go to get unreasonable and uninformed comment on matters of the day. But now it's reaching new heights of excitement! Blogs Joan Silber, a 2004 National Book Award Finalist: "As it happens, I'm talking to you during the particular week when I'm moving out of a loft in Noho where I've lived for 33 years."

"As a 39-year-old fiction writer, you can imagine how much time I spend fretting about the plight of under 35-year-old fiction writers," 'Homeland' author Sam Lipsyte said in his introduction to last night's '5 Under 35' event, hosted by the National Book Foundation, which will dole out National Book Awards later this week. When the laughter died down, though, Sam backpedaled: "Actually, though, I don't think things are so good for anyone right now—except the few who don't deserve it." Of course, those few were all that any of the assembled crowd of young and young-ish editors wanted to talk about.