Thursday Midday Links: 50 Shades plans on destroying every good thing; Amazon bids for .book; Amazon deal with State Dept. under scrutiny

Last week at BEA I spoke with a number of publishing people about 50 Shades. I was beginning to feel sanguine about the book. A book that made women feel more comfortable about their sexuality was a good thing. A book that got people reading was a good thing. The publishing path of 50 Shades was instructive and enlightening. But my equanimity with the book was utterly destroyed when I read this earlier this week:

Louisa May Anonymous’s 50 SHADES OF LOUISA MAY, imagining the secret sex life of...