Erika Dreifus

Kurt Vonnegut has passed away.

The bad news first–and this sort of thing is always bad news for those of us who rely on the U.S. postal service as we submit our work (and SASEs)–it looks as though postal rates will be going up again. Expect another increase in May, to $.41 for a first-class stamp (that’s what I’m reading this morning, though I’d heard $.42 was a possibility).

So maybe there’s some good news in the “limited” hike. Another reason for good cheer is the the imminent introduction of the “forever stamp.”

As the Christian Science Monitor explains this morning:

Beginning in May, customers would be able purchase the stamps in booklets of 20 at the regular rate of a first-class stamp. As the name implies, ‘forever stamps’ will retain their first-class mailing value for all eternity, even when the postage rate goes up.

The new ‘forever stamp’ is the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) answer to customer complaints about frequent rate increases. The May hike will be the fifth in a decade. Postal rates have risen because of inflation, competition from online bill paying, and the rising costs of employee benefits, including healthcare, says Mark Saunders, a spokesman for USPS.

Watch for updates on this–or risk consigning your manuscripts to oblivion when a journal can’t add a two- or three-cent stamp to your SASE and you haven’t used the “forever” stamp!

Did you know that almost 80% of all books published in 2005 came from “small” independent presses? That alone should be reason to celebrate Small Press Month (March). Discover more fun facts about small presses here, and peruse the schedule of festive events honoring their work here (especially relevant for those in New York, Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas).

Ever wonder what the dean of a journalism school actually does? Find out in this new MediaBistro interview with Steven Shepard, dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at my new place of employment, The City University of New York.

I haven’t taken any photographs yet in/of my new abode, but my sister thoughtfully brought her camera on her inaugural visit last week. Here’s one perspective (there are only two windows, so…). I have to say I probably prefer the evening views, with what seems an infinite number of lights twinkling away in the city night.