Review by Rachel Syme When The Year of Magical Thinking appeared in 2005, it established Joan Didion as the high priestess of anointed grief counselors — her meticulous and minimalist memoir of losing her husband to heart failure hit a cultural and emotional chord that continues to reverberate. In Blue Nights, Didion’s new memoir, she turns to motherhood with a similar clinical detachment — again a shock, but in this case, one that feels much more uncomfortable. Didion’s gimlet eye is always welcome; the conclusions that she draws from it, maybe less so. Two months before Magical Thinking‘s publication, Didion’s 39-year-old adopted daughter, Quintana […]
Malone Explains to Shareholders Why Liberty Bid For BN
At a meeting with Liberty Media shareholders in Denver Monday to approve the planned spinoff of Liberty Capital and Starz, chairman John Malone explained why the company offered $17 a share for Barnes & Noble last week. He believes there’s a bright future for BN, and not just in terms of its digital growth: “I’ve been a Barnes & Noble customer myself for many, many years. The stores will shift around, but there will be a physical presence for a long, long time to come, and it will be a profitable presence.” Malone expects negotiations could take months rather than […]
New Bowker/BISG eBook Survey Highlights Disparity Between eBook Consumption in Trade and Higher Ed
This morning BISG presented two studies prepared by Bowker’s PubTrack on ereading habits with markedly different objectives and conclusions. “The most important thing want want you to walk away from is to consider who your consumer is,” said Bowker’s Kelly Gallagher. “We’re looking at two completely different sides of the spectrum.” The newest iteration of its survey on Consumer Attitudes Toward eBook Reading pinpointed (once more) the core ebook buyer: a 44-year-old female with a median household income of $77K who reads and buys romance novels above all else to read on a dedicated device. 18 percent of respondents buy […]
Current Developments in the Spanish-Language Digital Market
At the “Why eBooks in Spanish in the US and How to Make them Available to Readers” panel this morning, CEO Arantza Larrauri announced that Libranda, Spain’s major ebook distribution platform, will be launching in Latin America next week, starting with Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia, with plans to expand to other countries by the end of the year. To begin with they will partner with local affiliates of the big houses that back Libranda – Planeta, Santillana and Random House Mondadori – but they are in negotiations to partner with local houses in each country as well. At launch they […]
People: Grann to Retire; Hannigan Salky Getzler Agency Opens; and More
After more than 40 years in publishing, and more than 10 years with Doubleday, editor-at-large Phyllis Grann will retire from the company on June 9. “Phyllis is among the towering figures who have shaped book publishing,” said Knopf chairman Sonny Mehta in a statement. “We know her as a brilliant editor and savvy businesswoman, but more important, in my view, is the role she has played as a confidant and mentor to many in our industry. I certainly have learned a great deal from her.” Grann says, “as much as I have enjoyed the work, I now feel it is time […]
Buzz Reviews: Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend, by Susan Orlean
Review by Edward Champion Susan Orlean’s work has long circled the eccentric cauldron bubbling above the dutiful fire of American life. Orlean’s journalistic gifts have led her to souls who socialize on Saturday nights, the intoxicating originality of misunderstood artists like The Shaggs, and the wayward passions of orchid collectors. Now Orlean has discovered another effervescent subject hiding in plain sight: a cultural canine with a remarkably resilient heritage. You don’t have to be a dog enthusiast or a couch potato to appreciate this hearty tale, for Rin Tin Tin’s ascent and duration coincides with several high points throughout the […]