NYT deputy editor for travel Laura Marmor will move over to the Book Review as senior editor in December, following Dwight Garner’s departure to serve as a book critic. Sam Tanenhaus says in the memo quoted by the Observer, she “will be making a broad range of review assignments in addition to helping Bob Harris and me put the section together each week and collaborating with our editorial team to upgrade our enterprise projects.” Marmor was an editor at the WSJ before moving to the Times post-9/11.Observer Webster Younce will join Henry Holt next week as a senior editor reporting […]
On John Leonard, 69
Former editor of the NYT Book Review during the 70s John Leonard, 69, died from complications of lung cancer. Most recently he was TV critic for New York Magazine and a book critic for Harper’s Magazine. “As a critic, Mr. Leonard was far less interested in saying yea or nay about a work of art than he was in scrutinizing the who, the what and the why of it. His writing opened a window onto the contemporary American scene, examining a book or film or television show as it was shaped by the cultural winds of the day. “Amid the […]
Harper's Profit Way Down
News Corp. reported results for their fiscal first quarter, ending September, in which operating income all but vanished at HarperCollins, down to $3 million from $36 million, “due to a higher returns provision in North America combined with lower third-party distribution income” according to the release. (This quarter a year ago they profited from distributing Harry Potter for Scholastic.) CEO Brian Murray explained to us that the returns provision was related to their accounting (and reserves against sales of new titles) rather than associated with any particular set of titles or accounts. Sales of $315 million were 4.5 percent lower […]
Courier Suffers, Too
In other results, Courier Corporation reported fourth quarter sales of $76.3 million, down 5 percent, with net income falling over 23 percent to $7.2 million. Sales fell 18 percent in their publishing division to $16.4 million and income fell further at $1.1 million, versus $2.6 million earlier. Their Creative Homeowner line, which was hit early by the declining economy, continued to shrink, with sales down 33 percent in the fourth quarter, “reflecting the continuing nationwide housing crisis and resulting reductions in store traffic at home improvement centers.” Among the cutbacks, they will no longer distribute other company’s books through Creative […]
Michael Crichton Dies "Unexpectedly"
Michael Crichton’s family revealed his death at age 66 yesterday, saying that he had been “waging a private battle against cancer.” The family noted in their statement: “While the world knew him as a great storyteller that challenged our preconceived notions about the world around us — and entertained us all while doing so — his wife Sherri, daughter Taylor, family and friends knew Michael Crichton as a devoted husband, loving father and generous friend who inspired each of us to strive to see the wonders of our world through new eyes. He did this with a wry sense of […]
Crichton's Last Book?
Prior to his death yesterday, Michael Crichton was working hard on completing what would be his final manuscript. Originally the book was scheduled for publication this December. “He didn’t deliver the manuscript as expected,” ceo Brian Murray told us during an earnings telephone interview, and “we postponed it.” Harper publisher Jonathan Burnham indicates that they do not know the exact status of the manuscript right now. Crichton had been working on the manuscript for some time and hoped to complete the book before the end of the year. Though his illness was known, his final deterioration was apparently both quick […]