Two new things:

A piece on Moistworks about Sly Stone and a piece on McSweeneys about Balloon Boy.

The Significant Objects project, which asked writers to imagine origin stories for otherwise unremarkable objects in an attempt to see if that increased their value, now has its own mug, and an explanation of the official mug includes a nice nod to the Smiling Mug I wrote about.

A nice review of the Cassette From My Ex book, to which I contributed an essay.

Everyone knows about Dylan. Most people know about KISS. Some people know about Mark Knopfler and Joey Ramone. How many know about Marc Bolan?

Hop in a time machine and travel through human history.

—What’s your feeling about the Tiger Woods scandal? Manna for satirists? Personal debacle that shouldn’t be in the news? Check out “Fragments from Tiger! The Musical” and its coda.

—I don’t know much about book trailers, but they interest me: while movie previews can show you the most exciting scenes and the best jokes from a film, a book trailer functions differently: its job is to generate intrigue and plant the seed of a book in your mind. This trailer, for my friend Lauren Mechling’s “Dream Girl,” does exactly that. Plus, pigeons!

Dream Life by Lauren Mechling — Trailer from Richie Williams on Vimeo.

A few things:

1. People are publishing books all the time, but people I like publishing books I like is rarer. I don’t know much about YA fiction, but I know that Lauren Mechling is an excellent writer, sneakily funny and insightful and humane. Her recent novel “Dream Girl” just came out in paperback. Here’s a link so you can buy it.

2. I’ll be speaking tomorrow at the Center for Fiction in New York with Therese Svoboda and at the Miami Book fair with Jonathan Lethem and Michael Thomas. If you want to attend either event, do.

3. You know how they say that cell phones cause tumors? I have coined a name for the phenomenon: Blabber Cancer. It’s a little glib for a potential life-threatening thing, but remember, the jury’s still out, and this is as much about the media frenzy as the possibility of actual illness. So go, world, and use the phrase “blabber cancer.” Tell them I sent you.

A bunch of books coming soon, plus a story at Fifty-Two Stories, plus some readings, including the one below, at a launch event for Underwater New York.

Ben Greenman at Underwater New York launch from Underwater New York on Vimeo.

Two pieces over the weekend, if Monday’s part of the weekend, which it isn’t.

1. A profile and interview with Connie Ogle of the Miami Herald.

2. A nice mention of the book in the L.A. Times “Jacket Copy” blog.

Some books from 1969 here, along with commentary from me.