Book, Movie Deal for Hip-Hop Author

Young journalist Erica Kennedy knows about all there is to know about the hip-hop scene and has put it into a first novel called Bling! that scored the unusual distinction of being bought simultaneously for a book and a movie by Miramax. It tells of a mogul of that trendy music scene who sets out to make a megastar out of a small-town singer; the story is described by Miramax Books editor-in-chief Jonathan Burnham, who made the book deal, as "brilliant and unputdownable." He compared it to an African-American Valley of the Dolls. His deal for world English rights was made with Ira Silverberg at Donadio & Olson, with the same agency's Tad Floridis signing for the movie with Miramax's Michelle Raimo and Jennifer Wachtell. The book is to be published some time next year.