Short Takes

Jonathan Galassi at Farrar, Straus & Giroux, longtime editor for the bestselling author of thoughtful legal thrillers Scott Turow, has just signed him to a new title, with plans to publish at the beginning of November. It's to be called Reversible Errors, and Galassi signed for U.S., Canada, open market and second serial with Turow's agent, Gail Hochman at Brandt & Brandt.... Two well-known agents have set up on their own, as Nicole Aragi leaves Watkins Loomis to start up as a solo, called simply Aragi, and David McCormick leaves IMG to combine with former scout Nina Collins to establish the Collins McCormick agency; in both cases, the new agencies will have some notable writers to start up with; meanwhile, Caitlin Blasdell, a former senior editor at Avon, is joining the agency run by Liza Dawson, herself a former editor.... Norton editor-in-chief Starling Lawrence preempted a book by medical philosopher Dr. Carl Elliott, who will examine how the technologies of medical enhancement accord with the American way of looking at the world. Lawrence bought The Alchemy of the Clinic: American Medicine Meets the American Dream from agent Andrew Blauner and will publish next winter.... Pocket Books publisher Louise Burke signed consistent romance bestseller Fern Michaels to a new five-book deal via Robert Gottlieb at Trident three hardcovers for PB Press and two mass market titles, world rights, the books to be edited by PB editorial director Maggie Crawford.... A "definitive" biography of the great baseball hitter Ted Williams has been signed by senior editor Jason Kaufman at Doubleday; it's by Sports Illustrated veteran Leigh Montville, and was signed for world rights through Esther Newberg at ICM; delivery this spring.