Get Your Pre-Fourth Party On: Tonight, 2312 Gallery has an opening for a very promising exhibit called ZIWA, which is a "Kenyan & Ugandan Art Show Benefiting Youth Arts Education in East Africa." ZIWA is associated with the Madaraka Festival that happened last month at the EMP and represents the emergence of the next generation of black African consciousness in America. 2312 Gallery is owned and run by the local hiphop entrepreneur Jonathan Moore, and has in its basement the studios for The Physics and Jake One.

Iran's Got an Unauthorized Modern Family Knock-Off: And it don't have no gays on it.

Author Colum McCann Attacked: Yesterday, the news broke that the popular Irish novelist was attacked in Connecticut over the weekend. He's still in the hospital with "severe facial injuries." The Irish Times published a statement from McCann that says, in part, “I was trying to help someone out. I was cold-clocked without warning. I had a severe concussion, a broken cheekbone, some broken teeth and a spirit that has been temporarily bruised."

Authors Write Letter: The AP says: "Stephen King, Nora Roberts and Robert Caro are among the hundreds of authors who have added their names to an online letter [PDF] criticizing Amazon.com for restricting access to works published by Hachette Book Group."

Ready for the Most Thankless Job in the World? Slog tipper Dawn alerted us to this job listing on Amazon.com, which says the online retailer is "looking for a candidate to develop programs aimed at serving brick-and-mortar bookstores and the customers we have in common."

"[Michael Bay] Is a Slave to His Eye" This is a genius explanation of why Michael Bay's direction is so eye-catching, but ultimately so hollow:

Every Alcoholic Drink In Every Thomas Pynchon Novel: This is a noble pursuit. (Via Melville House.)