Some Awards, Some Video Entertainment, and My Youth: Just Wednesday's Links'

There's a lot happening in the world of literature today, and you've got a right to hear about all of it.

• The National Book Foundation has announced its 5 Under 35 Fiction selections for 2008. The winners are Nam Le, Sana Krasikov, Keith Gessen, Fiona Maazel, and Matthew Eck. I've had drunken conversations with both Le and Krasikov, and I had a sober conversation with Gessen when he was here for his event in April. Congratulations to all of them.

• I found this video of David Henry Sterry explaining how to get an agent pretty funny (courtesy of Galleycat): David Henry Sterry will be leading an event similar to this one ("The Art of the Memoir") at Vroman's on Friday, October 3. Panelists will include the very funny Chelsea Handler, author of Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea.

• It's National Punctuation Day. Celebrate accordingly. I like to use dashes myself. How about you?
  

• For some reason, I find myself thinking about Buster Olney's Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty today. Hmm, why could that be?

• A New York Times Magazine profile of Jimmy's Woodlawn Tap, where Dylan Thomas, Saul Bellow, Milton Friedman, and I all used to drink (though, admittedly, not together).