But the night was dark! And stormy!

Somewhere in San Jose a server’s straining mightily to serve up the 2009 winner of the Bulwer-Lytton fiction contest. As you might remember, we at the pier are not so fond of the Bulwer-Lytton fiction contest, which has (we feel) substantially lost its way; we are pleased to note that the Lyttle Lytton awards are still running strong, and recommend the 2009 finalists to your attention as a welcome tonic. —Finally: an unlooked-for but as-welcome defense of the Great Man himself, from Jess Nevins, a champion of the welcome unlooked-for.