Simon & Schuster convened a celebration of retiring president of Scribner Publishing Group and publisher of Touchstone Susan Moldow — a self-admitted “Murphy Brown of book publishing” — with an affectionate, admiring and at times rollicking collection of toasts (and roasts) on Thursday night. Presenters included her longtime partners at Scribner, publisher Nan Graham and associate publisher Roz Lippel (who read a statement from Stephen King) — along with a song from Scribner director of publicity Brian Belfiglio, performed to the tune of These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ (“These clips are made for marketing, wave them high you’ll do…). […]
Archives for November 2018
People, Etc.
Margaux Weisman has joined Penguin as editor, moving over from Vintage/Anchor where she was editor. Mora Couch has been promoted to associate editor at Holiday House. Lion Forge Comics has eliminated 12 positions, including editor Greg Tumbarello, Bleeding Cool reported. In line with the positioning of other publisher layoffs recently, the company says they fired people to fuel their future: “We are restructuring from the top down, and across departments to ensure that our organization’s size and structure remains in line with our sales, as well as providing support for future increase in title output.” They note: “Lion Forge has experienced a […]
Another Best Books List from the Chicago Tribune, and More Picks
The Chicago Tribune named its ten best books of 2018, including Sheila Heti’s novel, which is available to sample now in our Buzz Books 2018 Spring/Summer. The full list: Nonfiction Boom Town, by Sam Anderson This Land, by Dan Barry Frederick Douglass, by David W. Blight Rising, by Elizabeth Rush Feel Free, by Zadie Smith Fiction Motherhood, by Sheila Heti The Largesse of the Sea Maiden, by Denis Johnson X-Men: Grand Design, by Ed Piskor The Overstory, by Richard Powers Heads of the Colored People, by Nafissa Thompson-Spires In other selections JP Morgan announced its annual recommended reading list, and […]
Deadline Set for a Motion to Dismiss B&N Counterclaims Against Parneros
Former Barnes & Noble ceo Demos Parneros’s desire to ask the court to dismiss the bookseller’s countersuit against him persists, at least for a few more weeks, following a pre-motion conference on Thursday before Judge John G. Koetl. The judge set a December 21 deadline for the plaintiff’s counsel either to answer or move against Barnes & Noble’s counterclaims. But Judge Koetl discouraged the idea again, this time at great length. He said that “substantial hours” would be spent on it, which “wouldn’t make a whit of difference to the case.” Attorney Anne Clark seemed to be channeling her client […]
Mystery Writers of America Withdraws Fairstein’s Grand Master Award
The Mystery Writers of America board “has decided to withdraw the Linda Fairstein Grand Master award” that was announced earlier this week, on Tuesday. They note in a statement, “After profound reflection, the Board has decided that MWA cannot move forward with an award that lacks the support of such a large percentage of our members…. We realize that this action will be unsatisfactory to many. We apologize for any pain and disappointment this situation has caused.” The move came after “the MWA membership began to express concern over the inclusion of Linda Fairstein as a Grand Master, citing controversy in […]
The NYT’s Ten Best Books of the Year
For the first time, the New York Times announced its ten best books of year at a live event in Manhattan on Thursday morning, at the Greene Space, recorded for their podcast. Book Review editor Pamela Paul spoke with a panel of NYT editors about each selection, stating that a best book of the year is “a book that is not only of the moment but a book that we think transcends the moment.” The five fiction selections include debuts from Lisa Halliday and Tommy Orange, as well as Esi Eduygan’s Giller Prize-winning novel. The complete list: Fiction The Great Believers, […]