In a unanimous verdict, a three-judge panel on the Federal Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld District Court Judge Alan D. Albright’s clear and comprehensive ruling that Texas’s READER Act, a book banning law, is unconstitutional. The ruling and preliminary injunction blocking implementation of the law, which had been stayed pending the appeal, can now go forward, as the Appeals Court denied the state’s motion for stay pending further appeal. The case is a clear loser for Texas, and the Appeals Court barely breaks a sweat in rejecting all of the state’s fanciful arguments otherwise: “The question presented […]
Ask an Expert: Best of the Best Editor Jake Morrissey
James McBride’s THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE (August 8, 2023, Editor: Jake Morrissey, Agent: Flip Brophy) topped best books of 2023 lists, and, based on PL’s comprehensive tabulation, was the consensus pick as the very Best of the Best Book of the Year. Here, Riverhead executive editor Jake Morrissey talks to us about working with McBride, the editing process, and why this book resonates so much with readers and critics. How did you and McBride come to work together? What’s your relationship like? James McBride’s debut, The Color of Water, was on Riverhead’s first list in 1996, so when […]
People 1/17
At Knopf, Kathy Zuckerman is promoted to VP, executive publicist.
Pearson Full Year Sales Meet Updated Guidance
In a brief trading update before their full annual sales report on March 1, Pearson’s new CEO Omar Abbosh was pleased with the company’s 2023 performance. Abbosh succeeded Andy Bird at the beginning of the year. “Pearson saw strong strategic and operational progress in 2023 leading to financial performance ahead of our initial expectations,” he said. “The group is well positioned to seize growth opportunities and deliver long-term future value for all of our stakeholders. I look forward to leading the next phase in Pearson’s ongoing evolution.” For the full year, sales excluding OPM (Online Program Management, or virtual learning, […]
AAP Joins In New “Fairly Trained” Nonprofit
Fairly Trained is a newly-launched nonprofit that “certifies generative AI companies for training data practices that respect creators’ rights.” Their first certification — denoting licensed models — is awarded to “any generative AI model that doesn’t use any copyrighted work without a license.” to begin with, they have certified nine companies, most of which involve generative AI music. The venture is supported by a number of music industry groups — Universal Music Group, the Association of Independent Music Publishers, Concord, and Pro Sound Effects — but also the Association of American Publishers. And AAP ceo Maria Pallante is among the advisers […]
Buzz Books 2024 Spring/Summer Preview
We have just launched our new Buzz Book 2024: Spring/Summer sampler, with excerpts from an array of great forthcoming literary and debut fiction. You can download the “trade edition” now from NetGalley or Edelweiss or you can find the consumer editions all linked at our main Buzz Books website. As usual, we begin our free ebook with a broad overview of the upcoming publishing season, featuring hundreds of notable titles on the way. We’ll be presenting extracts from that season preview in the coming days, beginning here with our full list of literary fiction for the spring/summer season, alphabetically by author. Titles excerpted […]