On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal of NYT reporter and author James Risen, letting stand an Appeals Court ruling that he must testify as to whether former CIA officer James Sterling was the source of leaked, classified information Risen used in his 2006 book STATE OF WAR: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration. (The Court’s decision is in line with the full Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which had declined to hear Risen’s appeal by a 13-to-1 vote.) Risen has said he will go to jail rather than testify. Similarly, Attorney […]
Personnel
People: Remembering Oscar Dystel, and More
Former ceo of Bantam Books Oscar Dystel, 101, “widely acknowledged as one of the great architects of modern trade publishing”, died Wednesday morning. As chief executive and publisher of Bantam from 1954 through 1978 (with another two years as chairman) Dystel was responsible for some of the most successful paperbacks in the 20th century including EXODUS by Leon Uris; JAWS by Peter Benchley; and Jacqueline Susann’s VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. In a statement Random House paid tribute to Dystel as “a mentor and muse for innumerable authors and past and present colleagues of ours throughout publishing. He was a giant, […]
Carmen Balcells and Andrew Wylie Join Forces for International Agency
Literary agents Carmen Balcells, and Andrew Wylie, are joining forces for a new international agency, Balcells & Wylie, according to a short two-paragraph email sent to clients of the two agencies and seen by Spanish newspapers. They say the email begins: “Yesterday May 27, Carmen Balcells and Andrew Wylie signed a memorandum of understanding in order to create an international agency called Balcells & Wylie.” It notes that, “We have admired each other for years, and we are now able to work more closely. Our goal is to give greater strength, scope and duration to the representation of clients, and we are excited […]
People: Maya Angelou, 86, Dies
Award-winning author, renowned poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, 86, died at her home in Winston-Salem, NC early Wednesday morning. She had been in failing health for some time, cancelling an awards appearance several days earlier. “She’d been very frail and had heart problems, but she was going strong, finishing a new book,” Angelou’s agent Helen Brann told ABC News. “I spoke to her yesterday. She was fine, as she always was. Her spirit was indomitable.” Angelou was the author of more than 30 books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, most notably I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS […]
People, Etc.
In agency news, Stephanie Kip Rostan has been made at partner at Levine Greenberg, and the agency has officially changed its name to the Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency. She has been with the agency for 13 years. Jim Levine says in the announcement, “We know why Stephanie’s clients love her. She’s smart as can be, with a sense of strategy that is only equaled by her sense of humor.” Daniel Greenberg adds, “She’s both a leader and a team player, and we’re delighted to have her as our partner.” Their web domain is also changing, to lgrliterary.com, but emails to the previous […]
People, Etc.
At IPG, Cynthia Murphy has been promoted to library sales manager. In addition, Lara Alexander has been promoted to trade sales manager, and Laura Donnelly moves up to trade sales associate. Audrey Gibbons has joined Simon & Schuster Children’s as associate publicist for the SSBFYR, McElderry, Atheneum and Saga imprints. Previously she was an associate publicist at Black Dog & Leventhal. NBC News will air an hour-long special on Wednesday evening, May 28, featuring Glenn Greenwald — author of the just-released NO PLACE TO HIDE: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State, and including a recorded interview between […]