• Sherman Alexie, Seattle's most prominent author™, promoted his brand-new book for kids, Thunder Boy Jr., on Comedy Central last night. He talked with Daily Show host Trevor Noah about the problems of being a Junior, Crazy Horse's childhood name, Andrew Jackson, and the name of Washington DC's football team.

• Speaking of Alexie, yesterday Seattle Arts and Lectures made a very exciting announcement via Twitter:

ANNOUNCEMENT: @Sherman_Alexie to curate & host a new 3-part SAL series focused on authors he loves. Stay tuned for details!

— SAL (@SeaArtsLectures) May 9, 2016

• Over at the James Franco Review, editor Corinne Manning wrote an insightful response to the Antioch Review's horrendous transphobic essay, accusing the editors of the Antioch of laziness and a lack of discernment. Go read the whole essay.

• Here is a great appreciation of the Fantagraphics comic Love & Rockets.

• As part of her ongoing series of delightful exit interviews, Bookslut founder Jessa Crispin told The Guardian that literature had become dull lately because “We all have to be in job-interview mode all of the time. We’re not allowed to say, ‘The Paris Review is boring as fuck!’ Because what if the Paris Review is just about to call us?” Thankfully, the Paris Review responded with good humor:

Our fabled CIA connections notwithstanding, the Review has always admired those who speak truth to power. That’s why, for the next twenty-four hours, new subscribers can use the discount code BORINGASFUCK for 10 percent off one year of less-than-scintillating reading. Subscribe now to enjoy the best in boring fiction, boring poetry, boring interviews, and boring art.

• It is positively crazy that Barnes & Noble founder Leonard Riggio is retiring this fall. Say what you will about Barnes & Noble, but Riggio has kept it afloat for decades, sometimes seemingly through sheer force of will. The future of the chain is definitely in question now that he's moving on.