Erin on TAL

You must listen to the following story next week, 11.13.05, on This American Life:

"Settling the Score. During World War II, a young Jewish girl was taken in by a Catholic family in Poland as most of the rest of her family was murdered in the Holocaust. Sixty years later, her daughter Erin decided to go to Poland and meet the family who saved her mother. After a tearful reunion, the family now needed Erin's help. They explain that the building they live was offered to them by Erin's family in exchange for keeping her mother safe during the war.

But, no proper transfer of the building had ever occurred, and the family was now saddled with legal and financial problems. Problems that they needed Erin to help fix. Erin immediately agreed to help, but now after years of effort and thousands of dollars, Erin is still trying to transfer the building to the second wife of the son of the woman who saved her mother, asking how far do you go to repay this kind of debt?"

Duck on Bike

Here is a photo of a man cycling with live ducks, from today's Editor and Publisher. Photo by Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP/Getty Images.

Phillyist today!

I heart Phillyist.

In case anyone is trying to decide between the Encyclopedia of Exes reading at Borders tonight, and the "How to get a book deal" thing at the P&P, I recommend Borders. If your question runs along the lines of "how can I get a book deal for my book," I will gladly tell you the answer.

Also: I just found out that the new Ben Kunkel book, Indecision, is about the loft I used to live in (briefly) on Chambers Street in Tribeca. I can't tell whether I should be pissed off, or what. I suppose I have to read the darn book now. Hmph.

Hey, Joe

Hello, BookofJoe! Thanks for saying nice things about the books.

Tonight, after hours: who's your daddy?

Check out Power 99 (WUSL Philadelphia) tonight, when I'll be talking with Golden Girl about love gone wrong. Have you been a resident in Heartbreak Hotel? Call in and tell us about it: 215.263.6699 in Philly, 800.669.99FM worldwide.

It's DNA Monday on the show, so we'll also be talking with a couple who's finding out (Live in the studio!) who's the baby's daddy.

Miers Blog

Just when I was starting to think that things couldn't get much worse with the US government, Harriet Miers gets nominated. What the f?

Happy birthday, Scott, Tyler, and Rachel!!!!!

The Review Project

The review project, where I review everything that comes to the house, has been indefinitely postponed.

We are currently watching "Stone Reader," the documentary about Dow Grossman's lost novel The Stones of Summer. I like that the two guys at the beginning go to the library and talk about books they read as kids. I heart geeks.