Earlier today we linked to a selection of questions answered by author Dan Baum about his latest Harper's cover story, "Happiness is a Worn Gun." Baum's examination of the feelings about carrying a concealed handgun may on the surface appear reasonable and inoffensive. A deeper look proves this is not the case. That's not all that surprising from a writer who starts his reasoning on gun research, "Why do we need to explain why we like guns? Nobody feels a need to explain why people like guitars, or radios, or model trains. What makes guns different?" The obvious answer to Baum's dumb question is "because guitars and model [...]

Dan Baum tells The Rumpus why he decided to Twitter his New Yorker firing story. My personal theory is he was in it for the followers, but he's got some rationale about "micro-serialization" or whatever.

"Guns are hugely attractive. They are perhaps the best-made consumer products we can buy. What else that you buy today will be functioning exactly as well 100 years from now as it is today? I actually think Michael Moore had it right in Bowling for Columbine. The problem in the United States isn't guns, it's fear – fear that serves many, many interests and thus will be hard to squelch." -Dan Baum wrote a piece in the current Harper's about concealed-and not so concealed-weapons. He talks about it here. (For more on how easy it is to get a concealed weapon permit, see our handy guide.)

Susan Orlean, whose Twitter is pretty wonderful, is Twittering about Dan Baum now. (He is the fired New Yorker writer who just Twittered his firing story.) Says she: "Dissing your boss? Whining abt story credits? Writing stories that aren't good enough to run? Seeming to dislike the mag itself? Hmmm."

A trusty Harvard young'un gets fired New Yorker writer Dan Baum's wife/co-writer on the phone! Even though they were busy barbecuing a deer that he had just shot! The more I know about these two, the less I understand!

Dan Baum is back on the live feed, explaining to Twitter how he got fired from the New Yorker.