Philip Roth has suggested in the past that he was finished writing new novels even though he published four works between 2006 and 2010, but last Friday a spokesperson for publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt confirmed to the New York Times a remark Roth originally made to a French publication: “To tell you the truth, I’m done,” Roth had said. “‘Nemesis’ will be my last book.” HMH’s Lori Glazer told the Times, “I spoke to Philip today and he confirmed that Nemesis is his last book.” But another story making the rounds last week can be debunked. In early November Israel’s […]
Authors
CIA Director Petraeus Resigns After Affair With Biographer Broadwell Disclosed
As you may have already noted, publishing has been featured in the fallout from CIA director David Petraeus’ resignation Friday afternoon,when he disclosed an extramarital affair with a woman later revealed to be Paula Broadwell, author (with Vernon Loeb) of the authorized biography ALL IN: The Education of General David Petraeus. Published by Penguin Press in January with modest results (it was No. 13 on the NYT nonfiction bestseller list for a week in February and fell off the list two weeks later), book sales rose online over the weekend, and the paperback is due for release next month. Penguin […]
Two Short Bradbury Pieces, and Book On Man Freed After 38 Years for Murders He Denies Committing
As the AP reports, two short works from Ray Bradbury will be published posthumously this fall: A three-page intro to The Best American Nonrequired Reading called “The Book and the Butterfly,” and a piece called “Dear Santa,” in the holiday issue of Strand Magazine. Bill Macumber was released from jail earlier this week after serving 38 years in prison for two murders he maintains he did not commit, and Holt is moving up publication of a related book to January 2013. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Barry Siegel‘s MAINFEST INJUSTICE: The True Story of a Convicted Murderer and the Lawyers Who Fought […]
AJ Jacobs’ DROP DEAD HEALTHY Tops Hudson Booksellers Best Books of the Year Picks
Hudson Booksellers picked AJ Jacobs’ DROP DEAD HEALTHY (Simon & Schuster) as its Book of the Year, selecting an additional ten best in fiction, non fiction, business, and YA/children’s as follows: Fiction Justin Cronin, The Twelve Matthew Dicks, Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend Jonathan Evison, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl Peter Heller, The Dog Stars Barbara Kingsolver, Flight Behavior Kevin Powers, The Yellow Birds ML Stedman, The Light Between Oceans Jess Walter, Beautiful Ruins G Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen Nonfiction Mark Bowden, The Finish Christopher Hitchens, Mortality AJ Jacobs, Drop Dead Healthy Jenny Lawson, Let’s […]
Briefs: Jacques Barzun Dies; Strand Central Park Stalls Up For Grabs; And More
Cultural critic, historian, and essayist Jacques Barzun, 104, died Thursday evening in San Antonio. Barzun was a longtime professor at Columbia University and the author of dozens of books, including TEACHER OF AMERICA (1945), THE HOUSE OF INTELLECT (1959), THE DELIGHTS OF DETECTION (1961), and most recently, FROM DAWN TILL DECADENCE (2000). NYT Obit In a separate bit of news from Pearson, evp for Content Management, North America Dan Lee will become ceo of Pearson Canada on December 31, when current CEO Allan Reynolds retires. The Central Park stalls currently operated by The Strand Bookstore on Fifth Avenue and East […]
People
Ashley Garland has joined Ecco as publicity manager. Previously she was a publicist at the Random House Publishing Group. At Riverhead Books, Claire McGinnis has been promoted to publicity manager; Liz Hohenadel is now senior publicist; and Glory Plata is now publicist. Klaus Wolterstoff was recently promoted to vp, content and technology at Wm. B. Eerdmans, where will continue to supervise the company’s production department and manage information technology while also taking a more active leadership role in Eerdmans’ ongoing transition into the ebook market. Wolterstoff has also joined the Eerdmans executive leadership team and board of directors. Fiction writers […]