Salman Rushdie's dinner with Thomas Pynchon must have occurred during the year after the fatwa, to judge by the date of the review Rushdie is said to have been writing when they met. If you had to rely on the discretion of one famous stranger, I suppose, Pynchon would be a pretty good choice. Rushdie reports that he was "Pynchonesque".

• If you're looking for good Frank McCourt memorial links, Bibliobibuli is probably the place.

• Why frequent use of "I" is not necessarily a measure of egotism, with example from David Copperfield. (Via.)

• Chesterbellocian praise for booksellers.

• A happy year of owning an e-reader, without ever buying an ebook.

• Are trademark owners now happy to be verbed?