Levi Asher: “Why does it seem necessary to emulate Jack Kerouac’s travels in order to write about him? I’ve read much critical work on Joseph Conrad, but I’ve never yet heard a scholar claim to have first read Heart of Darkness while actually steaming up the Congo.”

I wish Levi had cited specifics about the professional critics who “still view Kerouac condescendingly when they praise him,” but I suspect he didn’t have enough space to go into detail. Overall though, it’s a nice piece, and I hope Levi expands his considerable thoughts on Kerouac elsewhere.

Levi Asher is quite determined to get an answer on the subject of book pricing. Accordingly, he’s initiated the first in a lengthy series of posts attempting to wrestle with the question, with the first installment featuring Richard Nash, Mark Sarvas, and agent Scott Hoffman. I have my own considerable thoughts on the subject and hope to offer my input in the near future.

On Tuesday, September 18, at 7:00 PM, a number of individuals will appear on a panel at the third-floor Lecture Hall of the Journalism Building at Columbia University. The panelists include Steve Wasserman, Peter Osnos, Elisabeth Sifton, Carlin Romano, and Mark Sarvas, and it will be moderated by CJR publisher Evan Cornog. Mark has additional details.

And for an alternate version of the Passangers, how can one resist these 1970s wipes and the crude dance moves? (Although the guy with the moustache, who appears to be the comic relief in both clips, is better in the first one.)