Shakespeare has an infinite variety. His plays have lasted 400 years since his passing. May they play on forever in new heaven, new earth!

How many authors of commercial fiction do you know who get huge, glowing profiles in the New Yorker? Well, Jennifer Weiner just did, as she continues to ride her successful hobbyhorse about not getting respect.

Many male protagonists seem palatable enough at first glance -- unless we hold them to the more exacting friendship standard.

It was like when you turn on a TV set after spending a significant period of time streaming television online. Suddenly, you're covering your ears and asking why those Kia hamsters can't play a different song. You never used to notice the commercials, but now they're all you can hear.

Weiner isn't just expert at giving her reading public what it wants, she's a master at creating controversy and making headlines by attacking noted authors in the news. It's a canny strategy guaranteed to boost her already high public profile. Midlist authors, take note.