In the last couple weeks, Next has popped up in two very smart articles. Each of them is about something larger than my novel, and each of them impressed me as being the sort of thoughtful literary journalism that everybody's saying that nobody writes anymore. Everybody's wrong.

The first piece is a lively article about "circadian novels" by Jim Higgins, the arts and books editor of the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal. Turns out, "circadian novels" is the technical term for what I've been calling "day-in-the-life" novels. Higgins gives sharp readings of the two Big Ones, Ulysses and Mrs. Dalloway (which I have acknowledged my debt to, especially Dalloway), and he introduces a slew of other examples, several of which I'd never heard of, and a couple of which (at least) I intend to track down. Even if it didn't mention Next (twice), I'd have thought this was a terrific article.

And just today, the literary blogger Levi Stahl has posted an equally terrific piece about David Shields' controversial new book, Reality Hunger, which uses Next as a sort of counterexample to Shields' argument. I won't summarize Stahl's line of reasoning, because you can read it for yourself, but I loved it, and not just because he said nice things about Next. I was thrilled to see such a shrewd and appreciative reading of my own book, of course, but mainly I thought Stahl's "yes, but" rebuttal of Shields is one of the best I've come across, and I was glad I was able to be of service.

My friend Jim Crace has a new novel coming out five days from now, All That Follows. It's set, in part, right here in Austin, Texas, and one of the crucial scenes takes place at the Texas Book Festival. When Jim was researching the book, he stayed with me for a week, and from now on, whatever the fate of my own books or my reputation as an author, I can lay indisputable claim to one signal literary accomplishment: I introduced the award-winning author of Gift of Stones, Quarantine, Being Dead, and The Pesthouse to Texas barbecue.

The book is already out in Britain, but in the meantime, as we wait for it to arrive here, you can read this review, check out a characteristically charming interview with Jim, and peruse the catalog of his archives at the Ransom Center. I leave you with the man himself, reading aloud from the opening pages of All That Follows, while seated deep in the stacks of the Ransom Center. I don't believe they've archived Jim himself, but you never know; the Ransom Center folks are nothing if not thorough.

Tod Goldberg has a review of Next in this Sunday's Los Angeles Times.

I know I promised I'd never mention it again, but I'd be remiss if I didn't thank everybody who came out to my event at BookPeople last night, especially all the friends and co-workers who showed up not only on a Friday night, but on the first Friday night of SXSW. Given all the groovy young talent pouring into town this weekend, listening to me read can't have been at the top of anyone's list. Hell, even I wouldn't have shown up if I didn't have to.

But somehow, I had a full house, everybody laughed at all the right places, and a lot of folks bought books. So thanks again for coming out and for all your good wishes. Thanks, too, to BookPeople for hosting such a successful and relaxed event, and thanks especially to Mimi Mayer for taking pictures.

So now I guess I have to start writing another book.