Sarah Weinman shares a piece of an “impolite” 1961 interview with Shel Silverstein. The whole interview is worth a read. (Q: “You used to sell hot dogs when the Chicago Cubs were playing, and the White Sox. What did you learn about people from this experience?” A: “I learned they like mustard. . . .”) . . . I don’t know much (of any depth) about Jim Carroll, who died last week, but I was transfixed by this clip of him talking about his youthful basketball career and basketball generally. . . . A gift idea for the book-loving baseball fans in your life: author jerseys. I particularly like Bartleby and Poe (with the raven on front, not the heart). I might have to make it out to the launch party at Freebird Books in Brooklyn on Sunday to get my hands on one. Paper Cuts likes the shirts, too. . . . I learned about John Gall because the various book-design sites I visit would often write about his work. Now, Gall has his own blog, which I’ve added to the Links page. . . . Tonight in New York, the European Book Club discusses a novel that includes these lines: “I’m aware, I really am fully aware that it’s impossible, in my case especially it’s impossible, to live a long and happy life when you drink. But how can you live a long and happy life if you don’t drink?”