One of Susan Sontag's last essays (unpublished), beautifully titled Pay attention to the world, makes a case for the primacy of the novel in a puddle of distracting visual and other mediating gimmicks. I enjoyed it though I saw parts that were specious. And here's a fine one by Guy Dammann on the importance of literary feuds, To my mind, pens unsheathed in enmity write with more wit and interest than do the nibs of praise ... and I'd prefer any literary feud to the soppy, self-serving associations that most great writers have in place of friendship.

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And then the event of the weekend had to be the talk by S V Srinivas, Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, Bangalore. His subject: Moments of Irrationality and the Willing Spectator:
An argument about Popular Cinema as a Political Form. It's always such a pleasure to listent to slick, informed, cogent, rational speakers. In total awe of the erudition, composure, gravitas and absolute flair.