Instead of trying to come up with a joke about an “Extraordinary Canadians” series (and don’t think I couldn’t), I’ll just say that these books do look quite lovely. . . . Gregory Cowles thinks Padgett Powell’s new novel, composed entirely of questions, is an example of “the Ramones effect.” . . . “Why would our [literary] choices be so different from those of our grandparents?” . . . Edan Lepucki considers the anxieties of the author photo, and particularly the stunning(ly goofy) work of Marion Ettlinger. (“Clearly, the writer is trying to appear thoughtful.  Most of the time, though, they look like they’re starring in a pain killer ad.”) . . . The evolution of a book cover design, and a one-sentence summary of the designing job: “I just keep slogging away at it until it stops looking cheesy.” . . . I got a funny press release this morning that I thought about sharing. Well, Stephen Elliott got it, too, and he’s posted it for everyone’s pleasure.