Anthony Bourdain, 61, television host and author of Kitchen Confidential, died in Strasbourg, France of apparent suicide. Bourdain launched his own imprint at Ecco Press in 2011, Anthony Bourdain Books, publishing titles including: The Prophets of Smoked Meat by Daniel Vaughn; Grand Forks by Marilyn Hagerty; L.A. Son by Roy Choi, and the forthcoming We Fed An Island by Jose Andres.
Ecco president and publisher Daniel Halpern said, “I’ve known Tony as an author and friend for many years. He not only revolutionized the memoir genre with his groundbreaking and iconic work Kitchen Confidential, he supported emerging voices and chefs with his imprint Anthony Bourdain Books. His death is a great personal tragedy. Our thoughts are with his daughter and family at this difficult time.”
Olivia Bartz has joined Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as editorial associate. She was previously an assistant editor at Stanford University Press.
Marina Penalva has joined Casanovas & Lynch as an agent.
The Authors Guild has instituted new procedures that enable members to resolve complaints with their Amazon book listings. They said in the release, “Members have reported instances where the ‘buy box’ for their books pointed customers to incorrect or non-royalty bearing copies sold by Amazon resellers,” and have “reported frustration or confusion about Amazon’s complaint procedures.” Now authors will be able to submit complaints directly to the guild, which will “review all of the author complaints to determine whether they raise problems that Amazon can or should address.”
In other Authors Guild news, the organization is launching 14 regional chapters to serve local writing communities. Participating regions include Los Angeles, San Diego, the Bay Area, Washington, D.C., St. Petersburg/Tampa, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Raleigh-Durham, Las Vegas, New York City, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Seattle, with more chapters in mid-size cities and smaller communities to come over the next year. Ambassadors of each chapter will host events, professional and educational panels, and social gatherings.
Executive director Mary Rasenberger said, “We’ve long felt that providing a supportive community of writers is an essential part of our mission as a membership organization. As we continue to grow nationally, with members spread across the country, it is vital that we give writers opportunities to engage with one another in person at the local level. Leading that charge is a dynamic group of ambassadors, all of whom have demonstrated a commitment and passion for sharing the Guild’s mission, not only with existing members but also with groups of writers that are new to us.”
Awards
What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah won The New York Public Library’s 2018 Young Lions Fiction Award.