The Rocky Mountain News--Colorado's 150-year-old newspaper--will publish its last issue tomorrow. While reading that sad news, GalleyCat turned to books editor Patti Thorn's bittersweet column from February 20th.

Thorn reviewed "Casanova: Actor, Lover, Priest, Spy" by Ian Kelly, a memoir she felt could give literary folks a respite from the bad news coming in from all corners of the industry.

Her touching words will ring true for writers, editors, and readers around the country spooked by the dark recession: "The news in publishing couldn't be bleaker: massive layoffs at publishing houses, whole imprints disappearing from company mastheads as if David Copperfield had suddenly waved his cape and tripped a trapdoor somewhere ... And here's the biggest irony: As the book world crumbles, how best to escape? Bury your head in a book, of course." (Via Jeff Gordinier.)