Jason Kottke is back from paternity leave to resume his duties as the premier web linker/town crier. No worries, he's well aware that no one's kids are as interesting to other people as they are to their parents.

Several people have inexplicably assumed that since I'm now a father, kottke.org is going to turn into some kind of daddyblog, and furthermore asserted that they'd like that not very much. Rest assured, not going to happen. I'm sure I'll make occasional mention of the family, but don't look for posts entitled "Umbrella Stroller Buying Guide" or "How to Buy Gender Neutral Clothing for Your Newborn (A: Don't Try, This is Nearly Impossible)".

George Saunders new nonfiction collection The Braindead Megaphone is out now.

The writer that turned me on to the short story form, Tobias Wolff, has a new collection of short fiction due out in March of 2008: Our Story Begins: New and Selected Stories.

As for me, I've been hit by a runaway express train of a summer job and have been pretty busy, but I'll try my best to do better here.