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Lit Blog wars are good for you. 

The literary journal n + 1 just stirred up a whole new round of lit blog wars in a recent essay called "The Blog Reflex." I still haven't picked up the issue at the bookstore, but it's already--as intended--stirring up plenty of blogged attention.

I love these sprawling Controversies over the future of literary journalism. When lit bloggers rally, they publish all sorts of wonderful links to Great Moments in Lit Blogging. Which means more quality reading for us. 

Let's not fight. Let's read. Start with this fabulous, link-full post from The Millions about lit blog milestones:  

"For example, Scott Esposito's Quarterly Conversation, an extension of his excellent blog, recently ran the most considered critique I've yet read of William H. Gass' The Tunnel... and I've read many of them. The Lit-Blog Co-op, mixing old-fashioned boosterism with serious discussion, helps to bring overlooked novels, many of them progressive and anti-capitalist, to the public's attention... Ed Champion's recent round-table on Against the Day, meanwhile, offered readers much-needed context for that profoundly leftist novel."

Thanks to Sarah Weinman for the link... 

Over at LitPark, Susan Henderson is having a big online discussion about writing style. I'm still thinking about how to describe my own style, but everybody should jump into the debate.

Just listen to recently published novelist Amy Wallen, resorting to useful clothing metaphors: "I suppose humor would be one part of my style. The other part is cheesy 70s tight-fitting, loud patterns with platform shoes and stretch knit."

If you can't come up with an appropriate clothing line to describe your style, you can always think about your biggest influences, just like Anneliese (her list is chock full of good reading): "I like reading Orion Magazine, and regional histories, memoirs along the lines of Isak Dinesen, fiction like “Babette’s Feast,” "The Hummingbird’s Daughter,” “Cold Mountain,” or anything Steinbeck. I like visual, clear, straight-forward prose. Jim Harrison and Rick Bass, yum."

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't note that one of our favorite prose style acrobats--Richard Grayson--recently made headlines on Gawker by looking for a hipster assistant. He's pioneering the brand new genre of The Mock Craigslist Posting...

Sometimes I get so wrapped up in publishing news that I forget to mention the army of litbloggers supporting contemporary writers.

Yesterday, I finally joined the grand conversation at MetaxuCafé, the home of countless litbloggers and webby writers.

From Bruno Schulz discussions to lists of writing markets, lots of great book bloggers contribute every day.

If that's not inspiring enough for you, read Ed Champion's impassioned defense of litbloggers. The post includes even more resources, and is a point-for-point rebuttal of some recent book blog bashing.

"See the Litblog Co-Op. See Maud, Mark and Jessa’s remarks on Scarlett Thomas’s The End of Mr. Y. See Sarah and Dan Wickett’s love for Daniel Woodrell’s Winter’s Bone. David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas: you heard about it first on these pages. Sam Lipsyte’s Home Land: TMFTML. I could go on and on."