On the Shelf

A cultural news roundup.

Legendary travel writer Patrick Leigh Fermor died this week at ninety-six. Described by the BBC as “a cross between Indiana Jones, James Bond and Graham Greene,” Fermor authored twelve books and numerous articles. A BBC tribute gives him his due.

Australian minister for small businesses Nick Sherry has declared that the bookstore is doomed. Speaking in Canberra, the politician declared, “I think in five years, other than a few specialty bookshops in capital cities, you will not see a bookstore. They will cease to exist because of what’s happening with Internet-based, Web-based distribution … What’s occurring now is an exponential take-off—we’ve reached a tipping point.”

Not one but two prominent “lesbian bloggers” are revealed to, in fact, be straight men.

Francine Prose and Keri Hulme have sharp words for Naipaul.

Rehabilitating the original “Uncle Tom.”

Murakami publicly criticizes Japan’s nuclear policy.

The return of Batgirl.

Actor Mark Rylance quotes poet Louis Jenkins in his Tony acceptance speech.

Werner Herzog will narrate an audio version of surprise-hit “bedtime story” Go the Fuck to Sleep.

The 100 greatest nonfiction books?