RIP Mike McGrady. Nowadays, people write terrible books for fun and profit, but in the olden times, they used to do it on purpose as a political statement.

Under the pen name Penelope Ashe, McGrady and a bunch of his likeminded Newsday staffers collectively wrote what is universally considered to be one of the best worst books of all time. It doesn't hang together, the sex scenes are Twilight-worthy, and it scans a little like Desperate Housewives fan fiction, but for a generation raised on Valley of the Dolls, is it really so far-fetched? All author appearances were made by McGrady's bangin' sister-in-law, who purred and slutted [...]

Excellent news! Our very own Jolie "Cleanperson" Kerr has sold A Clean Person book, to Allison Lorentzen of Plume, called My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag … And Other Questions You Can't Ask Martha. Greatest title in the history of titling? Possibly. (Also, here's that fateful handbag question; may the letter-writer eventually get a colorfully inscribed copy.)

Congratulations, Jolie — you're making the world a funnier, happier, and less filthy place.

(And on a personal note, I'm very proud of our association with this, and so grateful to Jolie for all that she does.)

"People say, 'Oh, Mr. Sendak. I wish I were in touch with my childhood self, like you!' As if it were all quaint and succulent, like Peter Pan. Childhood is cannibals and psychotic vomiting in your mouth! I say, 'You are in touch, lady — you're mean to your kids, you treat your husband like shit, you lie, you're selfish… That is your childhood self!"

The legendary and wonderfully salty Maurice Sendak has died at 83.

"Down goes Marie Malchodi, 48, who attended but never graduated from Brown, down to the library’s subterranean warrens, where she works as a “book conservation technician.” She sweeps her long dark hair into a bun, pierces it with a paint brush and starts her day, caring for ancient books and ephemera that are sensitive to the touch." —Today, The New York Times has a beautiful little story about a beautiful little thing Marie found hiding in a book.

Dave Hill's book of personal essays, Tasteful Nudes, came out today. If you're in a bad mood, or place, just pick it up! Boom. Problems temporarily solved. Not to give everything away, but here are some things about Dave: dude worked at a homeless shelter, opened for Slash, went on a nudist cruise as a non-nudist, grew up in a big Catholic family in Cleveland, drove a pedicab, was depressed at times but had family to lean on who weren't all like "AH! You're leaning on me! Stop leaning on me!" He's like Bill Bryson, except not. We chatted about it.

Thomas Steinbeck got a whole lot of advice from his dad. John Steinbeck would send his son letters — sometimes 18-page-long ones, when he didn't have time to edit — ranting, raving, and generally trying to be helpful. That's more than my dad did for me; his best (read: only) relationship advice has been to "always have an extra bottle of ketchup on the shelf, for when you run out."

Thanks, pops.

So when I read the beautiful relationship advice John wrote in a letter to then-14-year-old Thom, I wanted to hear from Thom what it was like to receive such weighty letters. I should be so lucky.

Eight book people pick the novel they'd have given the Pulitzer to.

Catch up with our previous memoir reading lists here, here and here!

West With the Night, Beryl Markham – Have you ever read a BAD book by a fabulous aviatrix? Be honest. This one is lush, and thick, and lyrical, and the marvelousness of Markham really shines though. She was the inspiration for Felicity in Out of Africa! She was a horse trainer! She schtupped one of George V's kids AND Antoine de Saint Exupéry! Hemingway called her "a high-grade bitch" and said she made him feel embarrassed because he couldn't write nearly so well. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

The Power Broker: Robert Moses [...]

"Sometimes beautiful songbirds were hidden in the napkins to charm the guests as they, twittering and fluttering their little wings, made their delightful escape."

Let's bring back hiding live animals in party napkins. There's more than enough time to prep for the weekend.

When people think of archives at all, they think of mouldering files in forgotten basements or top-secret government reports that shady agents go rogue for in order to PROVE THEIR INNOCENCE.

The truth is that real-world archives lie somewhere between those two extremes. There are definitely juicy, delightful secrets hidden in your local archives, but there are also a ton of super boring records and nasty paper cuts awaiting you. Before diving into archival research, you need to be prepared, is what we’re saying.

The purpose of this column is to answer your burning questions about archives — everything you wanted to know, from how to find photos [...]