Short Takes

An unusual degree of interest in an illustrated book proposal was stirred by XXX: 30 Porn Stars Portraits, a collection of portraits by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders accompanied by texts on aspects of porn and culture by the likes of Adam Gopnik, Francine du Plessix Gray, John Waters and Nancy Friday. The world rights buy was made by Bulfinch executive editor Michael Sand from the Scott Waxman agency.... Two new suspense novels by Denise Hamilton featuring her series heroine, Los Angeles reporter Eve Diamond, were bought for Scribner by Suzanne Kirk in a hard-soft six-figure deal for North American rights, made with Georges Borchardt; her previous outings, The Jasmine Trade and Sugar Skull, both won kudos from mystery buffs... A new book by inspirational author Barbara DeAngelis was bought by SMP's Diane Reverand for publication next fall; it's How Did I Get Here? Navigating the Unexpected Turns in Love and Life, and Harvey Klinger sold it for six figures for North American rights.... Arcade's Dick and Jeannette Seaver won an auction for The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language by popular British broadcaster and author Melvyn Bragg, a tie-in to a major TV series to be shown here next year; they took U.S. rights from U.K. publisher Hodder & Stoughton.... Also from Britain, Riverhead's Cindy Spiegel bought a new novel by Alex Garland (The Beach) called The Coma; she got North American and audio rights from agent Robin Straus.