Mark Sarvas is often biting in his reviews and commentaries at The Elegant Variation, a point that Scott Timberg makes up front in his Q&A with Sarvas in today's LAT Calendar section. Excerpt:

Right out of the gate, he's been a champion of authors he loves -- John Banville, J.M. Coetzee, Zadie Smith -- and a harsh critic of those he doesn't: the Los Angeles Times Book Review, British provocateur Christopher Hitchens, literary "it" boy Keith Gessen, and, going back to the site's first week, writer Steve Almond. (That vendetta provoked a 4,000-word retort on Salon's website from the Boston-based journalist and author.)

Sarvas' new novel, "Harry, Revised," is about a disoriented nebbish who is so self-conscious he can barely act. But that doesn't keep him from falling for a red-haired waitress named Molly while getting lunch at Cafe Retro on the day of his wife's funeral. Complications ensue.

We talked to Sarvas, who lives on the Westside and came across as a remarkably well-behaved lad. Could it be because of the book about to drop?

Sarvas reads tonight at Vroman's in Pasadena and Tuesday at Village Books in Pacific Palisades.

Couple more book notes: CaliforniaAuthors.com is about to launch a big redesign of its website...Larry McMurtry talks about his Los Angeles experiences with Patt Morrison, 1 pm on KPCC....Anna Sklar was on with Larry Mantle this morning talking about Brown Acres, her book on the L.A. sewer system....The Morning Buzz earlier noted the Edgar awards for Susan Straight and Vincent Bugliosi.