So here I am, on Twitter.

I was dubious at first -- thought Twitter was just more noise, and who needs that? I already receive information by phone, e-mail, letter, news release, word-of-mouth and postings on various Facebook walls. What possible good could come from committing to one more place to check?

But it turns out that Twitter is surprisingly useful. Since each message is just a sentence or two, it's very scannable. There's room to post a link or an update, and that's about it. And with so many local writers, publishers and bookstores on Twitter, I can see at a glance what they're doing (in a manner of speaking).

In just three weeks, I've found a couple of story ideas (thanks, Graywolf Press! excellent tweets!) and links to stories about the rapid rise of electronic publishing, the shrinking of New York publishers' staff and, well, a recording of Prince Charles reading Robert Burns' poetry aloud. (OK, maybe it's not all necessary. But it's all interesting.)

You're free to follow me, of course, but I twit (tweet?) very little -- though if there's breaking book news (Gaiman wins another Newbery?) I'll tweet loud and clear. Still, being a shy person, I'd much rather follow you. Should I? Let me know. I'm at Twitter.com/StribBooks.

Also ...

• Tom Davis, Blake School alumnus, Brave New Workshop alumnus and member of the old Franken and Davis comedy team, will be at Lyndale United Church of Christ on March 12, at 7:30 p.m. His book is "Thirty-Nine Years of Short-Term Memory Loss," and has an introduction by Al Franken, who may or may not be our next senator.

• A Graywolf Press author has been named one of five finalists for New York's Young Lions Award, given annually to a U.S. fiction writer under age 35. Graywolf published Salvatore Scibona's "The End" last year.

• Voyageur Press has published its popular 2004 title "For the Love of Knitting" in large-format paperback. The big, colorful collection of essays and stories about knitting was edited by Kari Cornell of Minneapolis. It sells for $19.99.

• Last week I told you in this space that Steve Perry had a new book coming out. Well, I got that half right -- the Perry half. It's Michael Perry, of course, not Steve. His new book is called "Coop," and it's due out in April from HarperCollins.

• Ian Leask will interview Marisha Chamberlain on "Write-On Radio" this Thursday. Chamberlain, of Hastings, is the author of the recent novel "The Rose Variations," published by SoHo Press. "Write-On Radio" airs at 11 a.m. every Thursday on KFAI, 90.3 FM Minneapolis and 106.7 in St. Paul.