DG Myers makes the case for ignoring new books in favour of good ones, and provokes a correction to Cyril Connolly on the timescale for literary immortality.

- In praise of Sir Christopher Ricks.

- On the internet, secondhand booksellers feel less need to entice passing interest; pity.

- Why Iran's official translators should have paid more attention to Hugh MacDiarmid.

-The New Yorker on the New York Times's least understood words.

- Petrona on Nick Hornby and English pessimism.